Lifeguard
by heybummerchapman
Summary: Piper Chapman is dreading another summer stuck in the Hamptons with her family. However, things take a turn when she encounters someone who is certain to change her perspective on herself and the world; an alluring lifeguard.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Well hello there. For those of you who have begun reading my first ever story Invisible, I'm hoping at some point I will return to that prompt. This story however, has been flowing much easier for me and I already have a plan of where exactly I want it to go. Because of this, it is much easier for me to focus on this and actually enjoy writing it. This is a small segment of what I already have written and I am much more confident in my ability to actually finish this story. Sorry if anyone is disappointed, but please let me know what you think about the start of this story. **

For Piper Chapman, the end of the school year marked the start of another summer she would be forced to stay in the Hamptons with her family. This was one of many reasons that the blonde much preferred the school year to summer break. Spending time with a bunch of snooty kids and their parents wasn't really her idea of a good. Piper was determined to escape this life as soon as she could. However, she'd have to follow the rules for now. She was in the middle of packing her bags when her phone buzzed.

Polly: You excited to head to the Hamptons?!

Piper: Most definitely not. And why have you been so cheery about it this year? Usually you're just as miserable as me.

Polly: My parents are letting me invite Pete to come with us this summer! Plus they're always out doing their own thing sooo we basically get to have the house to ourselves.

Piper: Ugh, you're so lucky. You're parents are so much more chill than mine. Not that I'd even have anyone to invite :\

Polly: Maybe you'll meet a cute guy at the country club…

Piper: Doubtful. And even if I did, my parents wouldn't let us hang out without supervision.

Polly: Just come hang out at my house then. We'll pretend that my parents are there.

Piper: I don't want to intrude on your time with Pete. Plus everyone at the country club sucks. Sure, some of them are attractive, but they're also spoiled jerks.

Polly: Well you don't have to marry the guy. Just find someone to hook up with. It doesn't have to be some big deal.

Piper: Easy for you to say. You've already had sex. With a long term boyfriend, might I add.

Polly: I'm just saying, you gotta lose it sometime.

Piper: Riiighttt.

An almost two hour drive proved to be about as much time as Piper could spend with her family for the day. As soon as they arrived at their beach house, she headed straight up the stairs to her room. She had always loved the crisp white interior of their vacation home, but her room here didn't feel quite as warm as her room at home. It lacked all of the personal touches, namely the majority of her massive novel collection. Even so, she'd take the bedroom by herself over the company of her parents any day. She began unpacking her things, and placing them in her closet and dresser. Another summer destined to go to waste.

* * *

"Alexandra, are you sure about this?"

"Yes mom, what's the big deal? I lifeguard every summer."

"Yeah, at the community pool. This is a country club. It's going to be full of rich, snooty people."

"What, I'm not good enough to watch over them while they swim?"

"You _know_ that's not what I mean. I just know you struggle to control your temper sometimes. And these people are bound to be a bit disrespectful."

"Well it's the best paying lifeguard job in this area. Plus I get a sweet place to stay for a few months. Just for working there."

"I know babe. I just- I'm just going to miss you is all."

"It's a two hour drive, ma. You can come and see me when you're off work. Or I'll come and see you if you want. Just let me know."

"Ok, alright. I'm happy for you, and I hope you have a great time while you're there." Her mom leaned in to give her a hug.

"I love you mom. I'll call you when I get there, alright."

"Alright, babe. I love you too." She gave her a kiss on the head before helping her load her things into the back of her old beat up Chevy Malibu. Alex watched in her rearview mirror as her mother waved to her from her driveway. This would be the most time she and her mother had ever spent apart in her entire life. A single tear rolled down her cheek before she silently reminded herself that this wasn't that big of a deal. This was a really good opportunity and she could definitely use the money. Let the summer begin.

* * *

"Piper!" The blonde woke up to her mother knocking on her door, which she had decided to lock last night.

"Yes, mother?" She rolled her eyes, but attempted to keep her annoyance from reaching her voice.

"Your father scheduled for you to play doubles with Polly and her new boyfriend this morning at 10:00."

"Doubles? I don't have a partner." She got out of bed and made her way to the door, swinging it open.

"You remember the Johnson's? Their son Christopher?"

"Yes…" Piper raised an eyebrow. She did not like where this was headed.

"Well he volunteered to join you today. You know he has gotten quite handsome in the past few years. And you two got along so well when you were younger."

"Ew, mom. And I tolerated him when I was younger because he was Dan's friend."

"Well in any case, the two of you are going to play tennis at 10:00. It's almost 9:00, so you should start getting ready. I'll help you pick an outfit."

"Great, yeah. Thanks." Piper had learned at a very early age that it was much easier to go along with her mother's wishes than it was to be defiant. Her mother pushed past her and went to her closet to choose one of her tennis sets. She pulled out a white vest top and light pink skirt with a small white symbol.

"I trust that you can pick out the appropriate undergarments." Piper cringed at the word.

"Yup. I think I can handle it." She rolled her eyes.

"And that outfit will go great with the new shoes that I got you. They're downstairs when you're ready. And please fix up your hair and wear a little makeup, ok?"

"Yup. I'll be down soon." Piper took a quick shower and pulled her hair into two french braids. She decided to wear a little bit of waterproof mascara and a tinted chapstick. Hopefully it would be enough to keep her mom off of her back. By the time she had gotten dressed it was almost 9:45 so she decided to grab her racket and head downstairs. "Alright, I'm ready."

"Alright darling." Her mom came around the corner out of the kitchen. "Oh dear, please let me fix your shirt." Her mom went around her tucking her shirt in again and pulling it out ever so slightly. "Much better. Here are your shoes." She grabbed a box that was sitting on the counter. Piper opened it.

"They're perfect mom. Thank you." They were simple white tennis shoes with a few rose gold accents.

"You're welcome. Christopher should be by any moment to drive you down to the club. You'll meet Pete and Polly there."

"Alright." Piper put on her shoes and checked herself in the foyer mirror a few times before a golf cart pulled up outside of their front door. She grabbed her racket, slung it over her shoulder, and took a deep breath. There was a knock at the door. She paused for a moment before answering it.

"Hi Piper."

"Hey Chris."

"You look….different." The blonde wanted to roll her eyes. Of course she looked different. They hadn't really seen each other since she was nearly 11.

"Thank you, I think? Let's head to the courts shall we?" Piper walked past him. "Wouldn't want to be late."

"Right, yeah." He muttered, following her. "And I meant it in a good way. Like you look..." His eyes scanned her body as they sat in the golf cart. He cleared his throat. "..grown up."

"Mhmmm." Piper didn't really know how to respond to his blatant ogling. She would admit that Christopher was an attractive guy. Tall, blonde, muscular and tan. He wore a nicely coordinated outfit that had likely been picked out by his mother as well. "Anyway, let's go." He simply nodded and turned to face the sidewalk, pressing on the gas.

The drive was quiet and awkward. Piper was certain she had never been more grateful for the fact they they only lived about 5 minutes from the country club. As soon as they pulled up, she hopped out of the cart and made her way toward Polly. She and peter were already standing right outside of the courts. She sent her friend a look that she hoped would scream 'help me'.

"Hey Pipe. How about we get this shit started. Pete and I are so gonna kick your guys' asses." Piper saw Christopher's eyebrows raise a bit at Polly's language.

"In your dreams." She replied.

The four teens made their way to the court and started their match. Both Piper and Polly were a bit bored with tennis, having been forced to play most of their lives. Because of this, the game started off pretty light. However, when Pete and Polly took the lead, Piper's competitiveness kicked in. She called for a break and made her way over to Christopher.

"Alright, we gotta step it up because I really wanna win this." She spoke quietly.

"What's in it for me?" His question really made her want to roll her eyes.

"I don't know...the satisfaction of kicking their asses?" She shrugged, and decided to bait him a little. "Depends on how well you play." She winked. It wasn't the most sauve of winks, but poor Chris was an easy target.

"You got a deal." He smirked. _Game on_.

Piper had to admit she was impressed by his abilities. As soon as she had made it clear that she wanted to win, he really poured it on. Within no time, they had overtaken Pete and Polly. They were now down to the game point. Pete served the ball and Chris managed to slam it back to their side. Polly made a run for it, but was hesitant to hit as it was a long shot. He had managed to land it right in the corner and then Polly missed the return.

"Fuck yeah!" Piper screamed a bit too loudly, especially for someone who really didn't give a damn about tennis. She ran over to Christopher, who quickly dropped his racket, and jumped into his arms. She pulled back after a moment. "That was a great shot, Chris. Like seriously."

"Well thank you." He laughed, a huge smile on his face. By this point, both he and Piper were bright red and sweating. The blonde was sure her mother would not approve.

"Good game, doofus." Polly called to Piper, making her way over the net and onto their side.

"Why thank you." Piper smirked at her best friend.

"You are practically dripping in sweat." Polly remarked with a look of mock disgust on her face.

"Well, I won didn't I?"

"_We_ won." Christopher piped in.

"Right, of course. That's what I said, isn't it?" Piper smiled at him, shoving his shoulder.

"Righttt." He said sarcastically. "Well I think I'm gonna head back home and get cleaned up. You need a ride?"

"Nah. I think I'm gonna head to the pool and I'll just walk home when I'm done."

"Ok, cool. You guys coming to the party tonight?"

"What party?" Piper questioned.

"Having a little get together at my place to kick off the summer. Starts at 10:00. My parents won't be in until next week so…"

"Sounds fun." Polly replied. "Pete and I will be there." She smacked Piper on the arm.

"Yeah, totally. Wouldn't miss it." The blonde spoke up, smacking her friend back.

"Sweet. I'll see you later then, Piper." He smiled warmly, grabbing his things and heading to the parking lot.

"_Sweet._ I'll see you later then, _Piper."_ Polly mocked in a deep voice once he was out of earshot.

"I hate you sometimes." Piper rolled her eyes.

"What, he's hot-"

"Hey!" Pete interrupted her.

"-and nice enough." She ignored him "He could be your guy."

"He's alright Pol. But I don't want to…" She leaned in to her friend, hoping to keepy Pete out of this. "lose _it_ to someone who's just alright." She whispered.

"You know I know you're a virgin, right?" Pete questioned.

"You told him?!" Piper nearly yelled. She quickly looked around to see if anyone was staring. Fortunately, they weren't.

"No, of course not." Polly replied. "I swear."

"She didn't have to. Piper, it's just obvious. Sometimes you can just tell if someone has- you know- and you...well you know."

"No, I don't know."

"You can just tell." He shrugged. "It's not a big deal."

"Of course it is. It's embarrassing. I'm 16 and I've barely even kissed someone. Ugh. I'm a loser."

"You're not a loser, Pipe." Polly glared at her boyfriend. He had clearly said too much. "It's not a big deal. Half of the people in our grade still haven't done _it_. Plus Christopher is 17, almost 18 and he hasn't."

"How do you know?"

"You can just tell." Polly shrugged and Pete laughed pointing at her.

"Just proved my point, babe." He said.

"Anyway, we're gonna head home to shower." Polly wiggled her eyebrows. Piper cringed. "I'll stop by your place around 9:00 to help you get ready."

"Yeah, alright." Piper waved her friends off. She grabbed her stuff and headed toward the pool. Suddenly she couldn't stop thinking about _it_. Did she really even want to do _it_? Or did she just want to seem like she had. Christopher was nice enough, and apparently was also a virgin. That might be nice. But, she didn't really like him like that. He was attractive, but the thought of sleeping with him wasn't all that appealing.

She made her way through the gate and to the poolside, setting down her racket on one of the loungers. Unfortunately, she hadn't thought to bring a suit. Luckily, she was in a plain black sports bra and underwear that could pass for a suit. There weren't many people at the pool, anyway. She slipped her shoes and socks off, pulled her shirt over her head, and folded it nicely. Her skirt soon followed suit and she stood in only her underwear, beginning to feel a bit awkward. She decided to just jump straight in, to avoid drawing any attention. However, the blonde could already feel a set of eyes on her. She glanced up and locked eyes with the lifeguard on duty.

She had long dark hair and eyes that were piercing even from across the pool. She wore a classic red guard suit and a pair of black shorts with white trim. The brunette was alarmingly pale for a lifeguard, but her complexion was undeniably gorgeous. Her legs were crossed and seemed to go on for miles. Piper was brought out of her trance by a young child jumping in the pool right in front of her. The lifeguard let out a chuckle before turning to watch those in the other side of the pool. Piper's face became even hotter than it had been after her tennis match and she quickly hopped into the water, welcoming the cold as it washed over her.

She glanced up at the guard a few more times but they never locked eyes again. After a few minutes she decided it's be best to head home. Her mother was probably already wondering where she was. She lifted herself over the side of the pool and made her way back to the chair. Piper felt weirdly disappointed by the fact that the lifeguard was still paying her no attention. She dried off with the towel on the end of her recliner and slipped her clothes back on. Her arms were still a bit wet, so her shirt stalled on her arms for a moment before falling over the rest of her figure. After completely redressed, she glanced at the guard one late time. The woman was still looking at the individuals in the pool. Piper sighed, grabbing her racket. _Damn her for being so good at her job_.

* * *

Alex's first day on the job had been pretty uneventful so far. Her shift had started at 10:00. This meant the pool was mostly empty with a few young families and old people scattered about. She figured the teen crowd wouldn't be around the pool much. This was both good and bad. She would be less likely to be tormented, but she would also be less likely to get laid. She sat up on the stand, opened the umbrella and made sure to keep her sunscreen applied. Her mother had always been careful to keep her protected from the sun. Plus, Alex had grown to love her pale skin.

Things didn't get interesting until a couple of hours later. The first teen that Alex had seen today strolled in directly from the tennis courts. She was a tall blonde with gorgeous tan legs. Her face appeared flushed, indicating that she had come to cool down after an intense match. Alex tried to pry her attention back to the individuals in the pool, but then the blonde began stripping. It became clear that she was in her underwear rather than a bathing suit, but she didn't seem to care. Alex surely wasn't complaining. Once fully undressed, the blonde glanced up at Alex. She had been caught. Part of her wanted to look away, but the other part wanted to savor her first good look at the blonde's face. She was far away, and Alex had shitty eyesight, but she could still tell that she was beautiful. Suddenly a young boy came around from behind her and jumped into the deep end. Alex laughed a bit, and took this as her cue to end their staring contest.

It wasn't until after the blonde was exiting the pool that Alex allowed herself to fully look at her again. This time, she had gotten a spectacular view of her ass as she lifted herself over the side of the pool. The brunette forced herself to look away before she was caught staring. Moment's later her eyes found their way back to the blonde as she attempted to get redressed. Her shirt getting caught on her arms. Her stomach muscles tensed slightly as she attempted to get it all the way over her head. Her body was gloriously toned. Alex again averted her gaze, making sure to keep her eye on the kids in the pool. She saw the blonde slipping on all of her clothes in her peripheral vision, but refused to stare at her anymore. However, she was almost certain she had seen the young blonde glance in her direction one last time, as if checking to see if she would look. She decided not to. At least until the blonde was already walking away.

* * *

The rest of Piper day was spent talking to her mother about Christopher, helping her mother organize things for a mixer, reading, and thinking about a certain brunette. By the time 9:00 rolled around she had worked herself up about both the mysterious lifeguard and Christopher. Chris was probably going to try to sleep with her tonight, or at least make out. She liked him. He was nice enough, and attractive. But she just didn't feel at all drawn to him in that way. To make matters more confusing she felt drawn to a complete stranger. A complete stranger who happened to be a woman. There was no way she could be gay, right? No. Chapman women don't like women. They like perfect men, who they marry at the perfect wedding and have a bunch of perfect children with. Shit. The doorbell rang. Piper ran downstairs to greet her friend. She hadn't even thought about what she was going to wear tonight.

"Hey Pol." She put on her best fake smile and tried to catch her breath.

"Hey Pipe. You alright?"

"Yeah, totally." Piper turned around to glance at her parents who were talking in the kitchen. "Let's just...go to my room."

"Yeah alright, gotta get you ready."

When the two made it up to the room Piper locked the door behind them. Polly sat on her bed and she began pacing back and forth. What was she supposed to do. Should she tell Polly that she might be into a girl?

"Piper, you're freaking me out. What's up. Is this about Christopher? Because you don't have to-"

"No. I mean yes, kind of- I don't know."

"Wow. Alright, well I'm going to need you to be a little more clear if you want me to help you calm down."

"I don't want to sleep with him. And I feel like he's going to try to make a move tonight…"

"Alright. That's ok. It's ok if you're not ready. You can stick with me and Pete and I'll try to keep him from getting too frisky."

"It's not that about that, though. I think I am ready."

"Ok. So you just don't like him, then? That's ok. I'm sure there'll be plenty of other hot guys out here this summer. We can get you lai-"

"I met someone."

"Ohhh." Polly smirked.

"Well not really met, per se. More like saw from far away and made eye contact with one time."

"Really. He must be pretty hot then, if you haven't even met yet and you wanna hook up with them."

"She is." Piper blurted out, her face burning. "I mean-"

"Woah, really? A girl?"

"Pol, I'm sorry. I get it if this is weird to you. I mean I don't even really know what's going on or if I am- you know- _like that._ I just-"

"Breathe, Piper. It's ok." Polly stood up and grabbed her friends by the shoulders, pushing her down to sit on her bed.

"Really?"

"Yeah, of course. I don't care who you like Piper, I'll always love you." Piper let out a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding.

"Ok."

"So who is she?" Her best friend questioned.

"Well I don't know anything about her except that she's a lifeguard at the country club pool and she's gorgeous."

"Think she'll be at the party tonight?"

"Shit. I don't know. Now I'm nervous again."

"Alright, well let's just focus on getting you ready and we'll worry about the rest later. No matter what, I'll be by your side all night."

"Thanks Pol." Piper stood up to hug her best friend.

"I love you, Pipe...Now, it's time to get you lookin' hot."

Polly helped Piper by picking out a red wrap dress with white flowers on it. She curled the blonde's long hair for her while she put on some light makeup. By the time 10:00 rolled around, both women were ready to go. Pete came around in his car to drive them both down to Christopher's house. Piper couldn't stop wondering if she'd cross paths with the brunette at the party tonight. She hadn't even thought about it until Polly had asked. The lifeguard had to be around their age, and most of the teenagers would be there. But Piper had never seen her around during any of the previous summers, which led her to believe she was fairly new to the area.

They pulled up outside of Chris' house and Piper willed her breathing to slow down. Sometime she really wished that she could just be like other teens. Every other person here would probably just get drunk and have a great time tonight. Piper on the other hand would probably just stress about everything.

"Alright Pipe, let's go in. I got you." Polly grabbed her hand as they walked up to the door. They walked in to see the whole house packed with teens. There was music blasting in the living room, almost loud enough to fill the whole large home. The brunette led Piper through the crowd until they found a kitchen to grab some drinks. "What do you want?"

"A beer…?" Piper replied.

"Alright, beers for everyone." She grabbed three bottles and handed one to Piper and one to Pete. They walked back into the living room to join the main group and sat on a couch in there. Piper hadn't spotted the lifeguard yet, but there was still time. Suddenly Chris walked through the living room and spotted them.

"Piper! Hey...you came!"

"Yeahh. We made it."

"Do you need anything?"

"Nope." Piper smiled, lifting her beer. "Got a drink, it's all good."

"Hey Chris!" A low voice called out from the kitchen.

"Sorry, I'll be right back." He smiled slightly at Piper.

"No problem." Piper downed half of her beer. She wasn't really sure how to handle this situation. Both Polly and Pete were already through their first drinks and getting close on the couch. Piper continued sipping and began looking around the room in search of long dark hair. She spotted a few women with similar hair, but she could tell by the body types and skin tones it wasn't who she was searching for. She sighed, finishing the last of her drink.

"You guys want some shots?" Pete questioned, grabbing their empty bottles from them. Polly seemed unsure, not wanting to get too drunk too fast.

"Yes please." Piper spoke up, not feeling nearly calm enough after one beer.

"Sure." Polly shrugged. "Thank you, babe" She stood up and planted a long kiss on his lips, before sitting nearly on top of Piper. "You feeling ok?"

"Yeah, just nervous. I'm gonna have to talk to Chris at some point."

"Any sign of the mysterious lifeguard?"

"Nope."

"I'll help you keep an eye out. What's she look like?"

"Tall and pale, dark hair, gloriously long legs." Piper stared off in the distance, thinking back to this morning.

"Ok." Polly interrupted her daydream. "Got it. Now come back to reality." She grabbed Piper's shoulder, shaking her.

"Sorry-"

"Alright, here we go!" Pete came back with three shot glasses full of a clear liquid. The two women accepted the drink from him. Piper immediately downed her.

"Thanks Pete." She spoke up, her voice raspy from the harsh alcohol.

"You got it." He smiled, joining them on the couch again. After He and Polly finished their drinks, Polly started getting a little touchy. Piper had forgotten that a tipsy Polly was just a horny Polly. This night wasn't going her way so far. She stood up deciding to go to the bathroom. Chris walked back into the living room.

"Hey Piper, how you feeling?"

"Good. Yeah, I'm great"

"That's good. Do you wanna maybe...like dance?" He motioned vaguely to a few couples dancing in the middle of the room. The music suddenly seemed even louder than before.

"I was actually about to go to the bathroom."

"Right, yeah totally. I'll catch you later then…" He responded awkwardly. "Closest bathroom is right through the kitchen." PIper quickly walked past him in search of the bathroom. When she made it to a small hallway, she found herself in line behind a tall brunette. Her heart started racing. This could be it. What should she say? She willed herself to stay calm.

"Hey." She spoke up after a few seconds. The woman turned.

"Hey. Do I know you?" It wasn't her. Piper sighed. She felt a mix of relief and severe disappointment.

"No, I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else."

"It's fine. What's your name?"

"Piper. You?"

"Nadine. Well it's nice to meet you." The taller woman smirked a bit, her eyes scanning up and down Piper's lithe frame. Piper began to feel like maybe she wasn't the only daughter of waspy parents who happened to like girls.

"Yeah, you too." The blonde blushed and smiled before the other woman turned back around.

After waiting in line for a few minutes she finally made it into the bathroom. She peed, washed her hands, and splashed some water on her face. She had really thought that girl would be the one. Walking back through the kitchen, she picked up and downed another shot of vodka. Chris would probably be waiting for her in the living room. She was started to feel the effects of the alcohol and enjoying it.

"Piper, you're back." Chris greeted her. She glanced to the left to see that Pete and Polly were no longer on the couch. So much for staying by her side all night.

"Where'd Pete and Pol go?" She asked him.

"Uh, they headed up to a guest room." He blushed a bit. She realized that Polly was right. It was pretty easy to tell that he was in fact a virgin. If she was going to lose her virginity, it might be nice if it was the first time for both of them. Or maybe that would make it terrible, she couldn't decide.

"You wanna dance now?"

"Sure." She shrugged. Maybe she could be into Chris. It'd be much easier if she could. At least then her parents would give her some sort of approval. Chris awkwardly led her into the increasing crowd and started dancing a little. They progressively got closer in the duration of a few songs. Suddenly, Chris grabbed Piper's face and planted a kiss on her. She tried to return the kiss, feeling a bit awkward. She had kissed a few other guys before, but never really enjoyed it. This kiss was no exception. She wasn't sure if Chris was just inexperienced or too tipsy, but she felt like his tongue was all over the place. She pulled back.

"I'm sorry. Was that not ok?" He questioned. Piper felt bad.

"No. I mean- yeah. It was fine, I'm sorry. I really like you Chris, I just don't think I like you _like that_, you know?"

"Right, yeah I get it." The blonde could tell he was embarrassed.

"It's not your fault, though. I swear. I'm just trying to figure some things out."

"I get it, Piper. It's ok. I'm just gonna...go get another drink." He walked off quickly. Piper decided to go find Polly. She was ready to leave this place. She went up the stairs and realized she had no idea what any of the rooms were. She began knocking on doors. A few were empty. At others she was met with a 'fuck off'. Undoubtedly from couples not wanting their hook-up to be interrupted.

"Polly!?" She called out, knocking on doors. Finally she got to them, at the very end of a hallway.

"What's up, Piper?" She answered the door. Her makeup was smeared, clothes haphazardly thrown on.

"Can we leave?"

"Yeah, sure. You alright?"

"Uh-huh. I just, I told Chris..."

"Told him what? That you're ga-"

Piper threw a hand over her friends mouth, not quite ready to hear that word associated with herself. "No, just that I don't like him _like that_. He kissed me." Piper frowned, trying to push the memory of the sloppy kiss away.

"That bad, huh?" Polly inquired.

"Not much worse than any of the other kisses I've had. I don't know if it's just a guy thing...or a me thing but-"

"It might be a bit of both." Polly shrugged. Pete came up behind her and guided both girls out the front door to his car.

"You sure you're sober enough to drive?" Piper asked him cautiously.

"Yeah, I'm totally good. Got a pretty high tolerance and didn't have anything after that first shot."

"Ok, then let's go please. Pipe, you wanna come back to mine for a while?"

"I don't want to get in the way of you and Pete…"

"Nah, it's fine. We already had our fun at the party. Sorry about that by the way." Polly frowned a bit.

"Uh, then ok. I don't have to be home quite yet and I think I still need to talk through some stuff. If you're really ok with that…?"

"Of course. You need someone to talk to about all of this. I know you can't really confide in anyone in your family."

"Ok, thank you." Pete pulled out into the road to head to Polly's place.

"So you're into chicks, huh?" He spoke up for the first time since they got into the car. Making eye contact with Piper in the rearview mirror. Piper just laughed awkwardly, and Polly smacked his arm.

"I think I just might be." The rest of the drive was relatively silent. Once they arrived, Pete headed up to Polly's room to play some video game. Piper was grateful he was giving the two girls time to talk alone. "He's a really good guy, you know?"

"Yeah, he's pretty great." Polly smiled to herself. Both girls decided to drink some water to prevent any potential hangover symptoms in the morning. Polly plopped down on a seat at the bar and Piper lifted herself up to sit on the island counter.

"So do you think the lifeguard will be at the pool tomorrow?"

"I don't know…" Piper eyed her friend suspiciously. "Why?"

"Well I've been wanting to get my tan on. And you know I prefer to lay out at the pool to prevent sand from going into...intimate places."

"I _do_ know that." The blonde laughed at her friend's phrasing. "I'm ready to get a tan too. You wanna go tomorrow around 11:00?"

"Yeah, that'd be fun. And I won't bring Pete this time, just the two of us."

"Ok, sounds good. Thanks for everything, Pol."

"Don't thank me yet, I haven't even gotten you laid."

"I hate you." Piper smiled begrudgingly.

"Love you too. Now let's put on some sweatpants and watch a movie before you have to go home."

"Fine, but I get to pick the movie!" Piper hopped off the counter and raced into the living room, grabbing a film from a shelf in one of the built-ins.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here is the next chapter! Hopefully you like the direction it's headed since I already have quite a bit written haha. Thanks for the reviews thus far. To the guest requesting Alex to save someone and get Piper all riled up, I'll keep that in the back of my mind. Might make an appearance a bit later into their relationship. **

The following morning, Piper woke up feeling both excited and uneasy. She was still unsure if she was really into the brunette or if she just found her attractive. It certainly felt like a crush, but she didn't even know her name yet. What would she say to her? What if she wasn't even gay? Or worse; What if she _was_ gay and just didn't like Piper?

Polly arrived at the Chapman's home around 10:50. She was let in by Carol, who had on a huge fake smile. She had asked her about Piper and Christopher, and Polly tried to act as casual as possible. Eventually Carol stepped out of the way and invited Polly to go upstairs into Piper's room.

"Where have you been?!" Piper squealed when her friend walked through the door. Piper hadn't even started getting ready yet.

"Sorry, Pete and I were up late last night after you left. I forgot to set an alarm."

"It's fine. I just need help...I've narrowed it down to two. This suit..." She held up a dark green bikini with a wrap around top "..orrr this suit?" The second suit was a light sort-of-periwinkle blue string bikini.

"The second. It'll give better tan lines. And shows more skin in case you see your lifeguard."

"Ok, thanks. Also, she's not _my _lifeguard."

"You know what I mean. Now hurry up and get ready."

Piper had braided her long blonde hair last night so she could have a beachy wave when she woke up. After taking out her braid and putting on a bit of makeup she was practically ready. She tied on her bikini and walked out of her bathroom.

"Sexayyyy." Polly teased her. "Put this on, hoe, or your mom might not let you out of the house." She threw a crochet cover-up at her. The blonde grabbed her sunglasses, her phone, and two towels before heading downstairs. She slipped on sandals and they were ready to go. They arrived at the pool around 11:20. Piper immediately glanced up at the lifeguard stand.

The blonde couldn't help the disappointment that hit her when she spotted an awkward, lanky teenage boy sitting on the lifeguard stand. She had all summer to see the brunette again, it shouldn't have felt like such a big deal. She was just eager to actually meet the alluring girl.

"I'm gonna go ahead and guess that that's not her." Polly spoke up, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Nope." Her shoulders fell. Let's go lay on that side, though. At least then we can escape the kids." Piper had learned from the kid cannonballing in front of her the previous day.

"Alright." The girls made their way to the opposite side of the pool and spread their towels out on two of the four chairs on that side. They decided to take the recliners right next to the guard stand as they had the most direct sun at the moment.

"Here's some lotion if you need it." Polly pulled a bottle out of her bags.

"Thank you." Piper took some in her hands and spread it all over. The girls lay on their backs for 30 minutes before turning over, to make sure they'd get an even tan. After about 10 minutes Piper felt herself dozing off under the comforting warmth of the sun. However, she jolted back to reality when a harsh whistle sounded.

"No running!" A voice yelled. It took the blonde a moment to register that this voice most definitely did not belong to the pre-pubescent boy they had seen on the stand earlier. She turned her head to the side and spotted the gorgeous brunette who had caught her eye yesterday. She quickly turned to the other side and nudged Polly's shoulder.

"Urgh." Polly groaned.

"Pol!" She whispered harshly.

"What?" She finally lifted her head.

"That's her."

"Oh...shit. Well you're certainly making a good impression." Polly nodded her head in the direction of Piper's ass which was almost entirely on display.

"Really?! That's your response. Seriously, what do you think?"

"She's pretty, Pipe. I get it. What exactly do you want me to do about it?"

"I don't know." She shrugged.

"Well I'm not about to have an uneven tan so I'm gonna lay here for another 20 minutes."

"Yeah. Right. Maybe just keep an eye out, let me know if she's looking...?"

"Well, you gotta grab her attention." Piper squinted at her friend, not trusting where this may be headed. "Yeah I'll get your top for you." The brunette spoke loudly. "I know you like to avoid the tan line." She proceeded to sit up and undo the ties at the back of Piper's suit with two swift yanks.

"Polly!" Piper's eyes widened

"What? It worked." Polly watched as the lifeguards eyes scanned Piper's body up and down. The lifeguard met her gaze, lifted a sculpted brow, and redirected her sights to the pool.

"Polly, lay back down." Piper blurted out. "What happened?"

"She totally just checked you out."

"Really?"

"Yup." The two girls continued to tan for the 20 minutes and decided they should get in the pool to cool off a bit. "Race you into the pool!" Polly yelled.

"Polly, my top is still-" By this time Polly had already jumped into the pool, splashing piper a bit on the entry. "-undone." Polly rose out of the water and smirked at her friend.

"Whoops." She replied. "Forgot about that."

"I hate you." Piper scowled. She turned over and sat up, holding the cups in place over her chest. "I can't get it back on without flashing someone." Piper spoke quietly, though she was almost certain she had heard the lifeguard laughing.

"Excuse me, Lifeguard!" Polly called out. "Do you think you could help my friend there?" She gestured toward Piper. The guard lifted an eyebrow and looked between the two girls as if contemplating. To the blondes surprise, she began making her way down the stand.

"Sure, but can you both help me keep an eye on the pool while I do it?"

"You betcha." Polly was way too proud of herself. Piper rolled her eyes before scooting to the front of the recliner. The lifeguard straddled the seat behind felt hands on the back of her neck, and shivered slightly.

"Sorry." The guard spoke up, as if she had done something wrong.

"It's fine." Piper replied quietly. She could feel as the girl crossed the string and tied them into a bow. She then moved to her mid back. Her hands reached around Piper's sides, grasing her ribs lightly, to grab both strings and pull them tight.

"That tight enough?"

"Yeah, that's perfect." The blonde swallowed hard.

"There you go, kid." Piper turned around getting her first god glance at the girl. She was even more beautiful up close than she could have imagined.

"Thank you." Piper smiled and blushed. She could see the brunettes gaze had returned to the pool behind her. "I'm Piper by the way."

"Alex." She swung one of her long legs to stand up and walked up to the blonde, smirking.

"It's nice to meet you. Thanks again for the help."

"Anytime." Piper watched as the other woman's tongue slipped out a bit to wet her lips.

"Well, I'll let you get back to your job." Alex simply nodded and made her way back to the stand. Piper couldn't help but watch the sway of her hips as she walked away, and the way her cleavage was exposed more as she climbed up the stand.

"Hey lesbian. Get in the pool." Polly yelled out from the edge. The blonde's head whipped around and she jumped in, shoving her hand over her friends mouth.

"You bitch." She whispered. Polly pried the blondes slender fingers from her face.

"Show a little gratitude. I'm the reason you know her name. And now we know that she's totally into you."

"You're infuriating."

* * *

Alex's first day on the job had gone off without a hitch and she was excited to get back to work today. However, she was meant to begin her shift in the middle of the day, which would probably be unbearably hot. She decided she'd head to the country club early and eat some brunch before her shift. Another perk of the job was she got a card to eat at the club for free on her work days. She arrived around 11:15 and ordered a small breakfast. The club's food was fancy, but nowhere near as good as her mom's cooking.

She glanced out the huge windows and into the pool. Suddenly, her eyes landed on a tall, thin blonde. She was almost certain that it was the same one from yesterday. Today she hadn't come alone. Alex couldn't take her eyes off of the girl as she removed her cover-up, spread out her towel, and settled on the recliner. She felt as if her heart stopped for a moment as the blonde began applying lotion to her gorgeous body. By the time she was done eating it was nearly 11:45. She decided to read a bit of the book she had brought before heading out to the stand.

Just as she was making her way over, the blonde and her friend both turned onto their stomachs. Alex was always cautious in the sun, but she had nothing negative to say about tanning right now. She was awarded a spectacular view of the girl's ass, but tried not to stare for too long. She was up on the stand right at 12:00. She stayed in the zone staring at the pool, but was brought out of her trance by a loud statement coming from her left.

"Yeah I'll get your top for you." The blonde's friend spoke loudly. Alex couldn't help but glance over. "I know you like to avoid the tan line." The brunette suddenly sat up and pulled at the ties on her friend's light blue suit, leaving her nearly naked.

"Polly!" She heard the blonde whisper in a harsh tone. Alex allowed herself to take in the blonde's form.

"What?." The friend questioned, quietly murmuring something else to her friends. She locked eyes with the short brunette and rose one of her brows. A moment passed before she forced herself to stay focused on the people in the pool.

After about 20 minutes, the blonde's friend became loud again. "Race you into the pool!"

"Polly, my top is still-" The short woman had already jumped into the water. "-undone."

"Whoops." She smirked, hanging on the edge of the pool. "Forgot about that."

"I hate you. I can't get it back on without flashing someone." Alex was trying not to eavesdrop, but she couldn't help but laugh a bit at the blonde's exasperated tone.

"Excuse me, Lifeguard! Do you think you could help my friend there?" Alex was conflicted. She couldn't afford to lose this job, but surely no one would notice a few minutes. Plus, the pool was pretty empty at the moment. She wasn't willing to miss her opportunity to interact with the blonde. She began climbing down the stand.

"Sure, but can you both help me keep an eye on the pool while I do it?" She questioned.

"You betcha." The girl in the pool responded. The blonde sat up and made her way to the end of the recliner, holding the cups of her suit tightly over her chest. Alex straddled the recliner behind her. She decided to start with the strings around her neck. The blonde shivered the moments her hands made contact with her neck.

"Sorry." She instinctively thought that her hands must be cold, but having sat in the sun for nearly 20 minutes that clearly that wasn't the case. Alex smirked at the effect she was having on the blonde.

"It's fine." Came a quiet reply. After tying a bow behind her neck, she moved to the ties on the bottom of her swim top. She reached around her sides to retrieve the straps and allowed her fingers to lightly grace the skin over her ribs. She crossed the strings and pulled.

"That tight enough?"

"Yeah, that's perfect." The blonde replied softly. Alex detected a hint of nervousness in her voice. She finished tying the strings in a bow.

"There you go, kid." The blonde stood up and turned around. Alex felt her breath catch in her throat. She was even more beautiful than the brunette had originally thought.

"Thank you." She smiled, her cheeks going pink. Alex glanced back toward the pool. Partially to check in, and partially because the blonde's blue eyes were almost overwhelming. "I'm Piper by the way. And that nuisance is called Polly."

"Alex." She responded. The tall brunette stood and made her way over to Piper. She couldn't help but smirk. She had to get this girl, and she was almost certain she was into her.

"It's nice to meet you. Thanks again for the help."

"Anytime."

"Well, I'll let you get back to your job." Alex simply nodded and made her way back to the stand. She wasn't entirely sure, but she thought those brilliant blue eyes followed her all the way on her journey back to the guard stand.

"Hey lesbian. Get in the pool." Alex heard Piper's friend call out. She smirked. The blonde's head whipped around and she jumped in, shoving her hand over her friends mouth. The two had begun whispering and Alex could no longer hear. Eventually the blonde said one last thing to her friend, just loud enough for her to make out:

"You're infuriating."

* * *

Piper swam around with Polly for a while before the two decided to head to Piper's home to hang out. Polly had heard chatter of a bonfire on the beach tonight and they both wanted plenty of time to relax and pick out some outfits. Both girls got out of the pool and dried themselves off. The blonde glanced up to see Alex was still on the stand and waved when their eyes met. She debated going up to her, but decided against it. She didn't want to come on too strong or say anything embarrassing. Both Piper and Polly slipped their clothes back on and began walking to the gate. After a couple of minutes of walking, Polly spoke up:

"Oh, shit!"

"What?" Piper replied, startled by the sudden outburst.

"I left my bag under my chair at the pool."

"Oh, damn. You want me to go get it for you?"

"Nah, it's fine. I'll grab it and catch up with you, alright?" Polly replied casually.

"Alright." The blonde shrugged and continued on her way home.

When Polly made it back to the pool, she went straight up to the lifeguard. After a moment, the woman glanced down at her.

"Hey." Polly smiled, awkwardly.

"Hi…" Alex looked at her expectantly.

"There's um, gonna be a bonfire on the beach around 6 tonight. Right down behind _Beachside_. A bunch of us teens are gonna be down there….You should come."

"Really?" She didn't seem very impressed.

"I mean I'm guessing it's not really your scene. But I'm forcing Piper to come soo…"

"Yeah, alright. I'll think about it."

"See you later then." Polly smirked, knowingly.

"I said I'd _think about it_, Holly."

"It's Polly, actually." Polly increased her volume as she walked away to grab her bag. She turned back one last time and Alex simply shrugged at her before focusing on her job once more.

Piper and Polly spent their evening watching Netflix, painting their nails, and chatting about random things. It wasn't until a little after 5:00 that Piper stood up to start getting ready. Beach bonfires had always been the blonde's favorite thing about summers in the Hamptons. She loved relaxing on the warm sand with a drink in her hand, just watching the sun set.

"What do you think I should wear, Pol?"

"Hmmm. How about you just put on the same suit from earlier and that knit cover-up set…?"

"The cropped tank and skirt?"

"Yup. That one looks so good on you."

"Alright, perfect."

"I can curl your hair while you do your makeup if you want…?" Polly volunteered. "Only if you'll do my makeup while I do my hair."

"Deal." Piper smiled, brushing her long hair out before sitting on the floor in front of her full-length mirror. The two girls took turns helping each other get ready and by 5:45 they were both dressed and ready to go. Piper's hair was now in loose curls and she had put on a light coat of foundation, some waterproof mascara, and lip gloss. She had her knit set on over her bikini and was eager to get down to the beach. At the last minute, she threw a few towels in a bag and they were ready to go.

"Alright, let's go." Polly spoke up, her eyes locking with Piper's through the mirror. The two girls made their way out of the house and down the street. They stopped at Polly's place and Pete joined them on their journey to the beach. When they arrived, they all joined the group of teens and grabbed a drink. Piper stayed close to Polly, not really wanted to socialize. After a while, though, Pete sat in a beach chair and Polly settled on his lap. Piper decided to avoid being a third wheel and dropped her beach bag next to them, before heading down toward the water. She much preferred the serene sound of waves crashing over the loud chatter and music anyway. She plopped down in the sand and took in the warmth from the sun as it began its' descent. She was only brought out of her trance when a voice suddenly rang out from right behind her.

"You know the party's over there, right kid?"

**A/N: Things are already starting to get interesting between the two. Basically all of the beach/pool looks I've written for Piper thus far are inspired by the photos of Taylor from The Edit because YES. -K**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Here's Chapter 3! I'm struggling a bit because I'm eager to post everything that I've written thus far, but I want to make sure I'm writing quickly enough to stay fairly consistent. As of right now, I have a good chunk of Chapters done, but I'm not sure how much more I'll have to write to see my envisioned outline all the way through.**

* * *

"_You know the party's over there, right kid?" The blonde's head whipped around, her eyes wide._

"What are you doing here?" Piper blurted out.

"Ouch. Gonna be honest, that's not quite the warm welcome that I was expecting." The brunette had on a low cut black dress with gold birds on it that tied around her waist. He long back hair was down and loosely waved. What was most surprising was the fact that she had on a pair of black-rimmed glasses.

"I didn't-I-I just meant...I hadn't expected to see you here, is all.." Alex smiled at the blonde as she stumbled over her words. It was strangely adorable. She decided to join her on the sand.

"It's ok kid, I know what you meant."

"Right. And I'm not a kid, y'know?"

"I know, it's just a term of endearment I picked up from my mom. How old are you, anyway?"

"16. You?"

"17. So _technically_ you're still more of a kid than me." She winked.

"Right." Piper replied, feeling the weight of the silence that followed. "You wear glasses." She stated awkwardly.

"Oh, yeah. I always wear contacts at the pool because it's easier. This is what I look like off the clock." Alex smirked.

"I like it. The glasses suit you. It's like a sexy librarian look." Piper tried not to blush at the fact that she had just referred to a woman as sexy.

"Right, that's why I wear them. Has nothing to do with the having-to-see thing."

"I figured as much. I see right through you Alex…" Piper paused, realizing she hadn't yet learned the other woman's last name.

"Vause."

"_Vause._" Piper smiled, staring into the other girls brilliant green eyes.

"I've shown you mine. Now it's your turn."

"It's Chapman."

"Piper Chapman. I'm intrigued. You're different than all of these other spoiled rich kids."

"I'd like to think so. What about you, though? I've been coming here every summer since I was a kid and I've never seen you."

"Yeahhh. I'm about as different from those kids as possible." Alex stared at her feet as she shifted them in the sand.

"Trust me, that's a good thing." Piper shrugged, sensing the shift in Alex's mood.

"I guess so. I mean they all seem pretty happy." Alex gestured toward the teens drinking and dancing on the beach behind them.

"They're all soooo dull and fake. Take it from me, I see every aspect of the story, not just this part."

"Alright, I believe you. What makes you think you're the exception?"

"I'm not. I am also dull and fake." She laughed at her own admission. "But at least I'm self aware, right?" The brunette raised her eyebrows and nodded slightly, contemplating the question. "They just don't see it. We're all so brainwashed by our parents that we don't even know who we really are."

"You don't think you know who you are?"

"Yeah." Piper shrugged, looking up to meet the other girls eyes. "But I think I'm working on figuring_ some things_ out."

"Really?" Alex smirked, sensing what Piper was hinting at. "Let me know if you need any help with that." She winked.

"Do you- I mean- _are you….._?"

"Gay, you mean?" Piper swallowed harshly, nodding. "Yeah. I mean, I thought you kind of got that."

"Right-no-I mean I kind of figured. I just didn't want to assume. This might be a shocker to you, but I don't exactly encounter many gay people in my day-to-day life." The blonde stated sarcastically.

"You don't encounter _openly_ gay people, you mean."

"Precisely." Piper responded with a giggle. "Generally pretty frowned upon amongst the WASPs and, thus, many of their children." She motioned toward the crowd of teens much like Alex had done earlier.

"Bummer. I'm assuming your parents don't know about you then...?"

"I mean I've only just begun exploring it myself...so no. They have no idea. But even if I do figure things out, I don't know if I'd be able to tell them. I _always_ try to be this 'perfect' girl that they want me to be, and never fail to disappoint. Not sure if I could add onto that." Alex frowned, she often forgot just how lucky she was to have Diane.

"That fucking sucks. I'm really lucky to have a mom that doesn't give a shit about any of that stuff. She just loves me."

"Yeah, you are. Don't get me wrong, I know my parents love me. They just have a fucked up way of showing it most of the time. Especially my mom. I mean I've never heard them _explicitly_ say anything super negative about the LGBTG+ community, but they tend to be on the more conservative side." Piper frowned, looking across the water.

"Don't worry kid, I'm sure everything will work out just fine. How about for now, we just enjoy the sunset?" Alex suggested. Piper had been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't even realized the sun had begun taking on a beautiful red hue.

"Pretty amazing, isn't it?"

"Mhmm." Alex confirmed, quietly.

"I've been coming here for most of my life and I don't think I could ever get tired of seeing this." Alex grabbed her phone and snapped a few pictures of an unsuspecting Piper. Once the blonde noticed, she attempted to swipe the phone from her. "Hey!"

"Sorry, I couldn't help it. You looked so serene." The brunette presented the pictures to the blonde.

"Not half bad actually." Piper shrugged and giggled slightly.

"You look incredible." Alex responded sincerely, catching Piper off guard. The blonde quickly lifted her own phone, returning the favor. She snapped one photo of the brunette's sincere face, before it shifted to a goofy smile. She made sure to capture the second look as well.

"So do you."

"Duh." Alex replied with mock arrogance, lifting her glasses to the top of her head.

"Wow, ego." She laughed. "Now you can't even see the sunset." Piper reached out, tucking a hair behind Alex's ear and running her hand along the side of her glasses.

"No, but I can still see you. Which is more important if you ask me."

"Oh, she's smooth." Piper rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the smile that lit up her face. "Well you might want to be able to see this." Piper set her drink and phone back in the sand before removing her clothing and taking off into the water. Alex was quick to slide her glasses back on, definitely not wanting to miss this view. Her green eyes followed the blonde's form. She had gotten in to about her hips when she beckoned Alex with her pointer finger. "Come here." Alex was quick to slip off her clothing and join the other woman.

"You tease." She spoke up once she had caught up with Piper. Her eyes trailed up and down the other woman's form.

"You know, I gotta say I prefer this suit to the guard attire." The black bikini she was sporting offered up an incredible view of her cleavage and toned stomach.

"Oh yeah?" Alex smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Fuck, the water is kind of cold." She shivered a bit.

"Yeahhh, I probably should have thought that through a bit more. The water isn't usually the perfect temperature until later in the summer."

"Shit, I didn't even bring a towel."

"It's alright, I brought a couple."

"Do you wanna maybe head to the club pool?"

"Isn't it probably closed already?"

"Yeah, but I always have a key. Plus it has a heater."

"Sounds good to me." The blonde shivered. I'll go get my bag and bring you a towel. Piper made her way to Polly and Pete who were now making out in the same chair as earlier. She tapped her friend on the shoulder. The two parted after a few more seconds of their sloppy kiss.

"Hey, Pipe. What's up?" She could tell by Polly's voice that she was a bit tipsy.

"Hey, I'm heading out." The brunette saw Alex down on the beach and smirked at her friend.

"Alright, have fun." She wiggled her eyebrows. "Be safe, use protection, etc." She laughed at her own drunk humor.

"You're the worst." Piper replied, trying not to let herself smile.

"What? I don't even get a thank you?"

"For what? Reminding me to use a condom?" Piper laughed. "Thanks for the tip. Not really sure it applies here, though."

"Nooo, you stupid lesbian. How do you think Alex knew to come tonight?"

"You invited her?" Piper replied. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

"You're welcooomeee." Polly replied in a sing-songy voice.

"Thanks, Pol. Like I said I'm out of here. Pete, take good care of her."

"You got it, blondie." He replied. He also appeared to be a bit tipsy, but not as far gone as Polly. The blonde found comfort in the fact that neither of them would be driving tonight. She grabbed her bag and headed back down to the gorgeous brunette.

"Everything alright? It took you awhile."

"Yup, all good. Tipsy Polly is a little bit difficult to deal with sometimes." She grabbed the towels out of her bag, handing one to Alex.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Mhmm, she made sure to remind me to 'use protection'. I told her that it wasn't super applicable to the current situation but a helpful tip, nonetheless." Alex chuckled.

"She's kind of a mess."

"That's an understatement." Piper smiled, warmly. After she was mostly dried, she slipped her clothes back on. Alex mirrored her actions. "I can't believe she invited you."

"I was a bit apprehensive, but I'm glad that I came."

"Me too." The blonde gazed sincerely into her gorgeous green eyes.

"Ready to go to the pool?"

"Yesss. I'm freezing." The thin blonde tried to control her shivers as the cool evening breeze passed over them. She gathered her things and they headed off toward the club. Alex slung a long arm around her shoulder as they walked. The firm grasp was comforting and helped protect the smaller woman from some of the cold wind as they walked. She couldn't help the dopey smile that lit up her face.

* * *

When they arrived at the pool, Alex unlocked the side gate. Piper was quick to toss her things on one of recliners and slide her long skirt off of her legs. She looked up to see the brunette slowly approaching her with a sly smile. Once there was less than a foot between them, Alex grasped the scalloped bottom of the blonde's tank top.

"Let me help you with that." She smiled, lifting the top off for her. Piper couldn't help the slight gasp that escaped her. She decided to grab Alex's dress and return the favor. The cool lighting from the pool exaggerated the glow of the girls' long, toned legs. Piper was certain she had never seen someone look more beautiful. The two girls stared at each other for a moment before Piper decided she was ready to get in. She tugged at one of Alex's arms and pulled her over the edge. The water was the perfect temperature; much more comfortable than that of the ocean.

"Piper!" Alex screamed once she had resurfaced.

"What?" Piper giggled.

"I hadn't taken off my glasses yet. Shit, where'd they go?" The brunette attempted to look down through the water.

"They're right there on the bottom. I'll grab them." Piper dove down and grabbed the glasses off the bottom, resurfacing to find Alex standing near the edge of the pool.

"I can't fucking see anything." Alex called out toward the blob that she knew to be Piper.

"Oh my goodness, don't be so dramatic." Piper teased her as she swam up to the brunette. "Here you go." She slid the glasses onto Alex's face and water proceeded to drip down all over her face. "See. Perfect." Piper laughed.

"Wow, thanks." Alex replied, sarcastically. She attempted to wipe at her lenses-unsuccessfully-as her hands were wet as well.

"Sorry about that." The blonde apologized, pushing the woman's glassed onto the top of her head. She wiped at the water droplets flowing from the brunettes jaw. Only then did she realize how close they were. Seeing no hesitance on the other woman's face, she leaned in and captured her lips with her own. The kiss was soft and gentle, only lasting a few seconds.

"I guess I can forgive you." Alex winked. She leaned in and kissed the blonde a bit harder this time. Her tongue swiped across Piper's lip and was granted entrance inter her mouth. The two pulled apart only when they both felt the need to catch their breath.

"Wow." Piper whispered, involuntarily. She felt herself blushing, embarrassed at having been so affected by a simple kiss.

"Wow is right, kid." The brunettes hand slid from the blonde's jaw all the way down her arm to her hand, linking their fingers under the water.

"So that's what that's supposed to be like." Alex laughed at the statement causing the blonde to smirk awkwardly.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"I've never felt anything like that. I've wasted so much time only kissing boys." Piper said with mild disappointment. What she had just experienced was so far from any other kiss she had previously had.

"If it makes you feel any better, I've never felt anything like that either. And I've been kissing girls for quite some time." She chuckled.

"So maybe it's less about finding the right_ gender_, and more about finding the right _person_….?" Piper pondered mostly to herself.

"That's one way to look at it I guess. But I'm personally pretty set on women, if I'm being totally honest."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to drag you into some deep conversation about sexuality and attraction. I was just contemplating out loud."

"Hey. I said I was here to help, didn't I?" Alex looked at her sincerely.

"Yeah, I just- this isn't quite as fun as the 'help' I think you had imagined you'd be offering."

"Who says? I'm having a great time. And who knows, maybe I'll be able to 'help' in an even more _intimate _way down the line."

"_Maybe_." The blonde replied coyly. The sky was slowly taking on a darker shade, as the sun peaked less and less over the horizon.

"Would you maybe wanna go out on a real date sometime soon?"

"Yeah, that sounds great."

"I'm not super familiar with the area. Are there any good date places?"

"Eh, not particularly. I have a few favorite spots, though. You free for a lunch date tomorrow?"

"Absolutely." Alex smiled. The two swam and talked until the stars were shining brightly above them. Piper was dreading the fact that she would have to part with the brunette, even though they already had plans for the following day. She had on a sad smile.

"It's getting a little late. I should probably head home before my parents have a conniption."

"Yeah, alright." Alex swam to the edge of the pool and lifted herself out before helping the blonde out. "I'll walk you home." The two got dressed and Piper gathered her things before heading toward the gate.

"Tonight has been so amazing. I think I have a newfound appreciation for this place."

"You didn't like it before?"

"I've always appreciated the beauty and tranquility of being right on the beach. However, my parents are very skilled at the sucking the joy out of most things. Sometimes I forget just how incredible it can be."

"Well I'm glad I can be a reminder."

"Me too." Piper smiled at the brunette. The two walked hand and hand until they arrived outside of the Chapman's summer home. "This is where I get off." The blonde spoke up, before realizing her unintended potential innuendo. Alex quirked an eyebrow, trying to fight her smirk. "I didn't- I meant- this is my….place." Piper corrected herself, growing defeated.

"I know what you meant, Pipes. It's ok." The brunette reassured her. Piper was grateful that she attempted to ease her embarrassment. The two women headed up the stairs at the side of the house that went straight to Piper's upstairs loft.

"You just called me Pipes." Now it as Alex's turn to blush.

"Shit, sorry. I didn't even mean to it just slipped out."

"It's ok. I liked it."

"I've had a really good time tonight, and I can't wait to see you tomorrow."

"Me too." Piper smiled. "Do you want to maybe swap phone numbers? Just so we can work everything out that way?"

"Yeah, definitely." The two girl gave their phones to each other and entered their contact details.

"There you go." Alex spoke up first.

"Perfect." Piper replied, proud of herself for obtaining the other girl's number. She took a step to get closer to the brunette, desperate to kiss her one last time before they parted ways. Alex began leaning in, but paused a moment later. She glanced at all of the windows and the glass paneled door.

"What if your parents are up?" She whispered. Piper smiled at the brunettes consideration.

"Don't worry. They're downstairs." The blonde leaned in, capturing Alex's lips. This time, she took control by sliding her tongue out first. She was met with no hesitation, and the two continued making out until they were left breathless. They pulled back, both smiling dazedly.

"Good night Pipes."

"Good night, Al." Piper couldn't resist placing on last peck on Alex's lips. The brunette turned and made her way down the stairs and off down the sidewalk. Piper watched her retreat for a moment before heading into her room. She remembered she needed to head downstairs to let her parents know she was home. She exited her room and went down the hall before descending their indoor staircase. She found her parents sitting together on the couch, her father had fallen asleep.

"Hey, mom. I'm home." She spoke up quietly as she came into the older woman's view.

"Oh, Piper! You scared me. I didn't hear you come in."

"Sorry. I just went straight upstairs so I wouldn't track any sand through the front entrance." The blonde silently commended herself for coming up with the quick excuse.

"Well that was thoughtful of you." Her mom smiled. "Thank you for letting me know you're home. Don't forget you have a private session tomorrow morning with Coach Richards on the courts."

"Right, yeah. Thanks for the reminder." Piper tried not to show her disdain.

"Don't make that face at me. You need to stay in shape if you want to get on a college track or tennis team."

"I know, mom. I just forgot is all. I'm gonna go get ready for bed." The blonde turned to head back upstairs. Once in her room, she showered and changed into her pajamas. She was about to climb into bed when she heard a knock at her door. The blonde debated pretending she was already in bed, but decided against it.

"Oh. Hey dad." She was surprised to see him and not her mom.

"Hey, Piper. When I woke up your mother told me you had just gotten home."

"Yeah. Sorry I was out a little later than I had expected."

"That's alright. How was your night?"

"It was really good." Piper's face lit up at the thought of her night with Alex. It felt so good to have someone ask her about it.

"That's great. I'm glad you had a good time, darling." Bill Chapman wasn't always the most observant man, but even he couldn't miss the change in his daughter's smile.

"Thanks for asking."

"Of course. Well I'm headed to bed, but I just wanted to check in with you. Sleep well." He smiled before heading back downstairs.

"You too, daddy." Piper closed her door, still smiling widely. She jumped into her bed and pulled out her phone, setting an alarm for tomorrow morning. Before setting it down, she opened her contacts. She felt her heart beating faster when she was greeted by Alex's name. She decided to add one of the pictures from the beach to her contact information. After a moment of contemplation, she chose the picture where Alex was smiling like a dork. Piper's face held a very similar smile as she lay in bed attempting to fall asleep.

* * *

**A/N: Now Piper has officially had her first ever lady kiss(es). Huzzah! I'm trying to keep her sexuality a bit more fluid/ambiguous because bisexuality is valid! As a gay lady, I tend to write Piper really gay (unintentionally) so I'm doing my best. Also, I realize that Piper calling her father "Daddy" is a little cringe but it feels very accurate to a teenage Piper to me. Idk. ****-K**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm probably going to screw myself over by posting so many updates, but I'm excited for you guys to see where things are headed. This fanfic already has a pretty clear outline for me in terms of the trajectory of the Vauseman relationship. It's going to be fairly fast paced (as you will see in this chapter) mainly because I think I lack the patience to write a super slow burn fic. I hope you enjoy anyway and the pace isn't overwhelming.**

* * *

The blonde woke up at 8:00 the following morning to get dressed and head to the courts for her tennis training session. Her mom was dead set on her playing tennis for a college team, but Piper was less than enthused by the idea. However, she always appreciated it when her mom had any interest in her life. It was worth the early mornings and boring coaches to make her mom proud. The hour session went by fairly quickly much to Piper's relief. Before heading home, she decided to walk over to the pool to see if Alex was on duty. Much to her disappointment, the brunette was nowhere to be found. At least she had gotten to sleep in. As she walked back to her house, Piper pulled out her phone and decided to send Alex a text.

Piper: Good morning. I hope you slept/are sleeping well. :)

Alex: I slept very well indeed. Actually just woke up.

Piper: Ugh, lucky.

Alex: Couldn't sleep?

Piper: Nah, I had to get up early this morning for a tennis training session.

Alex: Oh, I see. Well how was it?

Piper: It was alright. Anywayyy, I just wanted to double check that we're still on for lunch today? Maybe around 12:00?

Alex: Sounds good to me.

Piper: Awesome. Is it alright if I pick you up?

Alex: Sure. I'm staying in one of the rental beach houses at the club. It's the fourth one on the left when you pull in.

Piper: Gotcha. I'll see you at 12:00 :).

Alex: See ya then, Pipes. ;)

Piper's stomach was fluttering from both excitement and extreme nerves. Yesterday had gone so well and she really didn't want to do anything to mess this up. Alex had briefly mentioned her love of reading the previous night, so Piper was pretty sure she'd enjoy what she had planned for their lunch. However, first she needed to focus on what she should wear. She decided to text Polly to see if she'd help her out.

Piper: Hey Pol. I think it's safe to assume you've got a bit of a hangover today, but if you're up let me know.

Polly: Ha. Ha. I'm up and doing just fine, thank you. What's up?

Piper: I have a lunch date with Alex today at 12:00! I have no idea what I should wear.

Polly: Omg, that's so exciting! I can come by and help if you want. I expect all the dirty details about last night, though. ;)

Piper: Deal. Now get your ass over here. ;)

The blonde was both grateful for the help and eager to have someone to talk to about her and Alex's night. After all, Polly was the only one who even knew that Alex existed. Piper rinsed off quickly as she waited for her best friend to arrive. She was pleased that her summer tan was already coming along nicely and her complexion was glowing. After about 10 minutes she heard their doorbell ring and rushed downstairs to greet her friend. "I got it mom. It's just Polly!" She shouted.

"'Just Polly'? That's a really warm greeting to your friend of like 10 years."

"I'm trying to save you from an awkward interaction with my mom, you ungrateful brat." Piper winked at her friend. "You could have just come straight to my door from outside, you know?"

"I know, but that just feels kind of stalkerish. Just staring right into your room."

"Whatever you say. I have curtains up." Piper shrugged. She shut the door behind her friend, before grabbing her hand and dragging her to her room. As soon as they entered her bedroom they sat on her bed and Polly's interrogation began.

"So how was it? What did you guys do last night? Anything fun? Anything sexy?" She wiggled her eyebrows.

"It was amazing. We basically just talked for hours. But it wasn't like normal bullshit small talk like all the other teens around here. Like, I feel like we really have a connection."

"That's awesome, Pipe. Where'd you go after the beach though? Ohmygod, did you go to her place?!" Polly practically squealed.

"What?! No! We just went to the pool. She has a key to the gate so we had the heated pool all to ourselves. We watched the rest of the sunset and talked. We made out under the stars." The blonde smiled, smugly. She was certain Polly would have something to say about that.

"Seriously?!" Piper nodded, enthusiastically. "Wow, your first_ lady kiss_." The blonde shoved her friends shoulder. "What was it like?"

"It was amazing. I've never experienced anything like it before."

"That's good right?"

"Definitely. I can't fucking wait to see her again. That's why I need you to help me pick something to wear."

"Alright, well do you know where you're going?"

"I'm taking her to 'Bound to Happen'." Piper smiled widely.

"What is your fascination with that old bookstore? That's a _terrible _place for a date."

"For your information, Alex actually really likes to read. And that's not the _whole_ date idea. I'm gonna get us some sandwiches and stuff from the cafe next door and take her out to my reading spot for a picnic."

"Aww. Ok, I'm on board now."

"Thank you, I thought it was a pretty good idea. Now help me pick out an outfit." Polly obliged and made her way over to the blonde's wardrobe.

"Ok, shorts are probably preferable for a picnic. So how about these…..and…" She continued rummage around Piper's closet. "This blouse!" She had picked out some light blue high-waisted shorts and a short-sleeved cream blouse with yellow and lavender flowers on it.

"Yeah, ok."

"Your legs always look great in these shorts. And you can wear those cute off-white sandals that you have too! What color are your toes painted right now?"

"Uhh...red."

"Bleh. You should re-do them with that lavender polish you have while I get started on your hair."

"Ok, sounds good." Piper took her time doing her nails and her makeup and Polly curled her hair before styling the top portion into a few loose braids and pinning them at the back of her head.

"Perfect." Polly smiled, pleased with her work. She set the long blonde hair with a bit of hairspray as a finishing touch. "You look gorgeous."

"Thank you for your help, Pol."

"You got it. Now get your ass dressed, you only have like 10 minutes before you should head out to pick her up."

"Oh, shit. Ok." She quickly slipped on her outfit and checked herself in the mirror one last time. She decided to brush her teeth for the second time this morning and apply some chapstick. It was absurd how much she was already longing to feel the brunettes lips on hers again. Polly walked with Piper as she made her way out to her car.

"Have fun." The brunette wrapped her arms around her best friend. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Polly winked.

"I'd be hard pressed to find anything that you wouldn't do."

"Exactly." She wiggled her eyebrows.

"Perv." Piper said with a laugh, before sliding into her baby blue VW Beetle Convertible. "See you later." She called out, pulling out of the driveway. She decided to keep the car's cover up for now, as to not ruin Polly's hard work on her hair. It took no time before she was pulling up outside of the home Alex was staying in. She took a deep breath before exiting her car to walk up to the door. She knocked lightly. She was quickly greeted by the brunette, who was wearing a big smile.

"Hey." Piper said with a dorky grin. "You look amazing." Alex had on black shorts that somehow made her legs look even paler and longer than Piper had seen them before. Her top was a maroon button up blouse with pink detailing. Her long dark hair was in loose curls and half was pulled up in a small bun. She had on a pair of maroon combat boots that matched her top perfectly.

"Thanks kid. So do you." Alex made no attempt to hide her scan of Piper's body, and legs in particular.

"You ready to go?"

"Yup. Where are we headed?"

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see."

"Sneaky. You know I'm not a big fan of surprises."

"Don't worry. I think you're really going to like it."

"Ok. I'm trusting you." Alex reached out and grabbed Piper's hand off of the wheel, interlacing their fingers. They stayed in this position until the blonde had pulled up outside of the bookstore.

"Here we are."

"What is this place?" Alex eyed Piper curiously.

"This just might be my favorite place in the entire world." The blonde stepped out of her car and met Alex on the other side, pulling her toward the front door of the store.

"'Bound to Happen'….is this a bookstore?"

"Yup." They entered the old building and Alex couldn't believe what she saw. At the walls were filled with books from floor to ceiling and there were countless mahogany shelves carrying even more novels. It smelled like the most exquisite mixture of new and old pages, wood, and leather.

"Wow. I don't think I've ever seen anything like this."

"This place is full of hidden gems. There's a mix of new and used books all over. Ever since I was a kid, this place has been my escape every summer."

"It's amazing."

"You should look around." Piper encouraged the brunette. "See if anything catches your eye." The brunette nodded and the women parted ways for a while. After picking up a book of poetry, Piper decided to check in with Alex. She found her in the Biography section, looking down at a book in her hands.

"Find anything good?" Piper questioned as she came up behind Alex, placing her hand on the small of her back. The brunette jumped slightly.

"Shit, you scared me." She chuckled.

"Sorry." Piper blushed, retracting her hand from its' place above the other girl's spine.

"It's ok. I just tend to zone out when I'm reading."

"I know exactly what you mean." Piper smiled. "Did you find one that you want?"

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna get this one." She held up a book titled 'Einstein and the Rabbi'.

"Alright, sounds good." The blonde pulled the book from her hands and headed over to the counter.

"Hey Piper! How have you been." The store's owner spoke up from behind the register.

"Hi Mr. Samuels! I've been doing great, thank you. It's good to see you again."

"You as well, sometimes I think that you single handedly keep my store open." He teased the young blonde. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Alex. Alex this is Robert Samuels."

"It's so nice to meet you. Your store is incredible."

"Why, thank you." He smiled, grabbing the books Piper brought up to him and punching in the price information. "Piper, it seems you've met your match." The blonde raised her eyebrows, a tad surprised by the man's comment.

"I guess so." She replied, her face growing red.

"This is an excellent choice." Robert lifted the book Alex had chosen. "I haven't had a chance to read it, but my husband just finished it and he said it was really enlightening."

"Really? I hadn't heard anything about it, but it caught my eye." Alex replied.

"Well I hope you enjoy it. And Piper, I hope you enjoy this poetry book although I'm not sure how you don't own every one in existence by this point." Piper smiled at the man and shrugged in response. He gave her the total and the blonde handed him the money before Alex even had a chance to reach for her own.

"Thank you so much." Piper smiled

"Have a lovely day." He called out as they left the store.

"You too." Both girls replied at the same time.

"That place was great. I can see why you like it so much." Alex spoke up as she made her way back toward the blonde's car.

"Wait. We're going to get some lunch right here." Piper said, seeming a but distracted. She pointed to a small cafe located right next to the bookstore.

"Oh, alright." The two girls entered the restaurant and Piper ordered some sort of vegetable sandwich before helping Alex decide what to order. She then asked for two drinks and a bowl of fruit.

"Is that for here or to go?"

"To go, please." Piper replied, quickly handing the woman some cash and dumping the change in their tip bucket. The two girls went to grab two bottled beverages from the fridge and their food was waiting in a bag when they were done. The blonde picked it up and headed back out to her car, Alex trailing her all the while. Once they were back in the car, Alex spoke up.

"Are you alright?"

"Huh?" Piper replied, still seeming a bit distracted. "I'm sorry.." She finally looked at Alex, meeting her eyes. "..what did you say?" The blonde slid the bags of books and food into the floor in the back of her car.

"I asked if you were alright."

"Yeah, I'm good. Sorry." Piper started giggling. "I just-I've known Mr. Samuels for a long time and I had no idea that he was gay."

"Oh, gotcha. Is that like and issue or…." Alex replied, a bit confused. "Because I don't wanna make this awkward but I'm pretty gay. And based on what happened last night, well you-" The brunette was cut off by Piper shoving her shoulder playfully.

"Dork." Piper chuckled. "I obviously don't care I'm just surprised is all. Like I don't know why he never told me."

"Maybe he just wasn't comfortable." Alex shrugged.

"I guess, but I'd like to think he would know that I'm not as judgemental as most of the other people that come here. And if that's the case, why would he just casually mention it today?"

"I don't know. Maybe he sensed that you and I were-you know- more than just friends..." Piper smirked. "..so he felt comfortable bringing it up."

"I guess that makes sense. Anyway, let's continue on this date." The blonde said, pulling out of her parking spot.

"Yes, please." The drive to Piper's reading spot was only about 10 minutes. She pulled off the side of the road and turned off the car. "Where the hell are we?"

"My favorite reading spot." Piper shrugged, as if stating the obvious.

"Here?" Alex raised an eyebrow, suspiciously.

"Well not _here_, here." The blonde grabbed the food from the back and set it on the other girl's lap. "You take the food and head out to that tree." She pointed. I'm gonna grab some other stuff and I'll be right there. As Alex walked off, Piper grabbed her book from the bag and a blanket from the trunk of her car. She ran to catch up with the brunette, eager to see her reaction to the view.

"Wow." Alex spoke up, as the ocean came into view. The tree was growing right near the edge of a tall cliff, with a perfect view of the shore.

"Not bad, huh?"

"It's amazing." Piper smiled and spread out her blanket before motioning for Alex to have a seat. She joined her, sitting cross-legged. She pulled their food and drinks out of the bag. The two proceeded to eat their sandwiches, chatting a little in between bites.

"How's your food?"

"It's really good, actually. I'm not usually into this healthy mumbo-jumbo." Piper laughed.

"Well, I'll count that as a success then. You can't eat too unhealthy if you look like _that_." Piper motioned to the brunettes body.

"Whatever you say, kid." She finished her sandwich, taking a long sip of water.

"You want some fruit?" Piper offered.

"Sure, kid." She grabbed a strawberry, taking a bite. Piper smirked, watching the brunettes lips as they closed around the fruit. After she had finished her sandwich, she joined the brunette in eating the assorted fruits. Once they were finished, she shoved the trash back into the cafe bag and pulled out her book. She flipped through the pages, in search of one particular poem.

"You brought your book?" Alex questioned.

"This is my _reading spot_. It'd be a disgrace if I didn't read anything while I was out here." Piper replied, jokingly.

"Right, right. Silly me."

"Ahem…" The blonde cleared her throat dramatically, lifting the book out in front of her.

"Seeker of truth

follow no path

all paths lead where

truth is here."

"E.E. Cummings." Alex whispered. Piper's face lit up at Alex's ability to identify the poem's author.

"I think I'm done looking to other people to tell me what my truth is. It's taken me long enough to realize that I'll never be happy unless I start exploring my inner truths, and allow them to come out."

"You are one of a kind, kid." Alex smirked at her. Piper blushed and slowly leaned in to capture the other girl's lips. Nothing had ever felt truer to the blonde than the connection she was sharing within this moment.

* * *

After the two had finished their lunch, Alex invited Piper to come back to her place to hang out. Piper was definitely not ready to part with the brunette so she was quick to accept the offer. Piper decided to lower the top of her convertible for the drive back. She couldn't help but glance at the other woman every once in a while, in awe of her beauty as the wind blew through her hair. Piper pulled into the driveway and turned to the brunette, giving her a quick peck on the lips.

"You have an obsession." Alex teased her.

"I can't help it! You're just irresistible to me."

"Hey, I'm not complaining. Just an observation."

"What're we going to do now?"

"Netflix and chill?" The brunette suggested with a raised eyebrow.

"Very funny."

"Ok, how about just the Netflix then?"

"Deal."

Piper was surprised by how nice the country club's housing was. The home had a nicely sized kitchen, dining, and living area. There were three doors of the main space, two of which she assumed were a bedroom and bathroom. Alex went straight into the living room and plopped onto the couch, her long legs spread out.

"Well where am I supposed to sit?" Piper questioned, Alex's long body taking up the whole length of the sofa. The brunette turned on her side, patting the space next to her.

"No, no. You said Netflix _minus_ the chill." Piper laughed. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't eager to go further with the brunette, but she was also a bit nervous. She wasn't quite ready to 'lose it' as Polly would say.

"I know, I know. I don't think cuddling really counts as 'chilling' though." Piper made her way over to the girl, chuckling at her statement.

"Sit up." Alex frowned at her.

"I'm so cozy." She mock pouted at the blonde.

"Just for a second, I swear." Alex looked at her with confusion, but obliged. The blonde quickly sat where the brunettes head had been, before pulling her back down to lay in her lap. The brunette had turned her head toward the other woman, now facing her lower stomach.

"I'm not trying to by critical, but I think this is a little closer to 'chilling' than my proposed position." Alex shifted her eyes down, indicating just how close she was to the space between the other woman's legs. Piper laughed and quickly turned the brunettes head to face the other side.

"Stop messing around and help me pick something to watch." The brunette grabbed the remote off of the coffee table and smiled as she felt Piper begin to run her fingers through her hair.

"Alright, what're we thinking? Something funny, scary, romantic…?"

"Hmmm….I don't know. I always like cheesy rom-coms." Piper blushed.

"Ok. Let's see what we can find them." The two women searched for a while before deciding on a film that appealed to both of them. However, the main thing that appealed to Alex was the fact that it was R rated.

The film was decidedly cheesy but Piper was invested, nonetheless. Even as a kid, the blonde was never under the illusion that real romances were anything like those that were fabricated in films. However, being best friends with Polly meant she had no choice but to learn to like them. She was a bit caught off guard when a rather graphic sex scene came up.

"Ughhh." Alex groaned.

"What?!" Piper questioned, startled.

"I was holding out for a sex scene and this is what we get? It's so….heterosexual." The blonde chuckled at the girl's complaint.

"What did you expect?"

"I don't know." The brunette whined like a child, turning her head and covering her eyes.

"Oh my goodness." Piper rolled her eyes.

"It burnnnsss. Make it stopppp."

"I hate you right now." She joked before peeling the brunette's hands from her face.

"You think I'm kidding. They just showed more of a man than i have ever desired to see. I don't know if I'll ever-" Alex was cut off by Piper's lips on her own.

The blonde's goal had just been to shut the girl up, but now she didn't want to stop. She caressed the girl's lips with her tongue before sliding it further out. Their tongues met and Piper tightened her grip in Alex's hair. She pulled back slightly and gently bit the girls bottom lip, eliciting a moan. This only encouraged her to keep going, having never heard that sound from her before. Her right hand slowly slid down Alex's neck a. Their kiss continued for a while before Piper realized her hand was now placed over the brunette's left breast. She couldn't resist the temptation to tighten her grip to fully cup Alex over her bra. The brunette moaned once again.

"Fuck." Piper whispered. She couldn't believe how turned on she was by a simple kiss and a bit of touching. Alex pulled back, biting her lip and smiling at the blonde. She lowered her head back down to Piper's lap.

"Miss Chapman." Alex teased Piper, her left hand falling to cover the hand on her breast. "I thought you didn't want to chill with me."

"I didn't say I didn't _want _to. I just said not tonight." The blonde blushed, realizing Alex was holding her hand in place. "You know, I've never-" She trailed off, looking down toward their stacked hands.

"I mean I kind of figured since you'd never kissed a girl. It's ok you know? It felt good." Alex smirked.

"Yeah I kind of got that from all the moaning." Piper took the opportunity to tease the brunette.

"You're one to talk, Miss 'Fuck'" Alex did her best to imitate Piper's whisper from moments ago. The blonde tightened her grip on the girl's breast once again, hoping to stop her teasing. The brunette smirked at her before lifting her hand off of her breast and interlacing their fingers. She lifted the blondes hand to her mouth, kissing her palm. "You better cool it, kid. I'm trying to take things slow with you. Your first time with a girl shouldn't be rushed into." Piper didn't have the nerve to tell Alex that it wouldn't _just _be her first time with a girl. She just smiled warmly at the girl laying in her lap.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"I don't know. For being understanding. For being you." The blonde shrugged.

"Don't mention it, kid."

* * *

**A/N (2): The poem read by Piper here is "Seeker of Truth" by E.E. Cummings. I did my best to capture what it might mean to my version of Piper in this universe so I hope it makes sense to you guys. I'm also not a generally funny person, but I've been trying my best to capture the cuteness of the Vauseman banter :) -K**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here we are again. This chapter gets a little cuter and a little sexier at the same time. Hope everyone's alright with that.**

* * *

The next day Piper woke up around 9:00 and headed downstairs to get some breakfast. She was surprised to find that none of her family members were downstairs. She assumed her brothers would still be asleep, but it was odd to not see her parents around. The blonde decided to just have a yogurt with some fruit and sat at the counter. After about 20 minutes, her parents came through the front door.

"Oh, good morning Piper." Her mom said in a surprised tone.

"Good morning. Where have you guys been?"

"We went to breakfast with the Nelsons."

"Who?"

"Mr. Nelson just started working with your father this year."

"Oh, right."

"Anyway, they invited us to join them on their boat later today."

"'Us' meaning….?"

"All of us." Her father spoke up for the first time, sending an apologetic look toward his daughter. Piper did not like where this was headed.

"They actually have a son your age. A very nice young man…" Her mother attempted to sound casual but failed terribly.

"Mom, really?!"

"I'm just trying to help. I know things didn't really work out with Christopher, but that doesn't mean you should just give up."

"I'm not _giving up_ mom. Maybe I'm just looking for something different."

"Different in what way?" Her mom eyed her, curiously. Piper's stomach dropped.

"Nothing. Never mind. I'll give it a chance ok? But I make no promises."

"Thank you, Darling." Her father pat her on the shoulder. She simply nodded.

"Now, before we go out today I want you to get in a run." Carol Chapman interrupted the tender moment.

"Yeah, ok." Piper was upset at her mom's controlling manner, but she had also missed running. It beat tennis any day.

"We're heading out to meet them for lunch at 12:00 and then going out on their boat."

"Alright, I'm gonna head upstairs and change to go on a run then."

"Ok, sweetheart."

Piper quickly changed into a tank top and a pair of spandex shorts. She slipped on her favorite pair of running shoes and pulled her hair into a french braid. She decided that she'd need some music for today's run so she tightened a band on her arm and slipped her phone in. After connecting her bluetooth headphones she headed downstairs.

"I'm heading out now. I'm gonna try to get 3 miles in." She called out to her mom. Her father was no longer in the main living area, presumably having retreated into his office.

"Good for you." Her mom smiled at her genuinely, as if it hadn't been her idea.

The blonde headed out the door and got into a steady pace, making her way up the sidewalk. She briefly wondered if the brunette would be on duty right now. It wasn't long before she passed the country club to see that the brunette was not there. Her run went by fairly quickly, and she was happy with her pace of about 6 minutes a mile. When she saw that the brunette was still not at the pool on her way back home, she decided to drop by the girl's home. She figured it was late enough that the girl would be up. She jogged up the the porch and checked her appearance in one of the windows. Admittedly, she looked a little rough, but not bad for having just run 3 miles. She knocked on the door.

"Hey Pipes, what's up?" The brunette opened the door, surprised. She was in a pair of sleep shorts and a v-neck shirt.

"Not much. I've just been on a run and I wanted to stop by and see you. I hope that's ok…?"

"Of course. It's good to see you." Alex smirked as she took in the blondes form in her tight shorts. "You want some water or something?" Both girls knew that Piper's home was very close, but were more than willing to ignore that detail for more time together.

"Sure, that'd be great." The blonde stepped through the doorway and made her way to the kitchen. Alex was quick to follow and poured her a glass of water.

"There you go." The blonde accepted it, gratefully, taking a few large sips.

"Mm, thank you." Alex nodded, lifting herself up to sit on her island counter.

"What're you up to today?"

"My mom is forcing me to go boating with some random family. She's just trying to set me up with this kid." The blonde stared at the cup of water in her hand. Alex stiffened a bit.

"Oh, that sucks…" She commented apprehensively.

"Yeah. I'm just so tired of it. I almost stood up for myself today. I said something about looking for something _different _in a partner….then I got scared to say more." Piper laughed, slightly embarrassed.

"That's ok. It's a big deal. You should probably take more time to process it yourself before you bring other people into it, anyway." Alex encouraged the blonde.

"That makes sense, yeah." She smiled. "Maybe we could hang out later tonight?" The blonde questioned, making her way over to the brunette. "Like when I get back? It'll probably be kind of late, though. Like mid-evening…?" She was now stood between the girls legs.

"Ugh, I have to work the evening shift tonight." Alex placed her hands on the girls hips.

"Ok." Piper put on a fake pout. "I guess we don't have to hang out every day." She laughed.

"I'll text you after I get off of work, alright?"

"Alright." Piper smiled, leaning in to capture the brunette's lips. Alex's hands slipped down to grasp the girls ass through her running shorts and Piper giggled against her mouth. The brunette tightened her grip, pulling the blonde even closer. Piper couldn't help but moan lightly at the feeling of her front pushed up against Alex's. The girls parted after a few more heated moments.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist after seeing you in those shorts." Her hands slowly slid back up to their original position on the bonde's hips.

"No complaints here. Thank you for the water." The blonde pulled back. Alex hopped off the counter and walked her to the door. "I'll talk to you later."

"Alright, I hope you have a good time today. Bye Pipes." They shared one last peck on the lips.

"Bye, babe." The blonde responded before heading off down the sidewalk. It took both girls a moment to realize what Piper had just called Alex. The blonde felt her face heat up and sped up a little bit, ready to get home. Alex, on the other hand, just smirked at the slip up. It was cute.

* * *

"Piper, darling. How was your run?" Her mom called out from her bedroom when the young blonde came through the front door.

"Good. It was good." Piper made her way to her parents room. She found her mom trying on a bunch of different summer dresses and staring into their floor-length mirror.

"You were gone for quite a while. You need to keep improving your time if you want to be competitive in college." Her mom locked eyes with her in the mirror.

"I know mom. I got in three miles in a little under 18 minutes, today." Piper offered, apprehensively.

"Then why were you gone for over 20 minutes?"

"Sorry." Piper responded, her face flushed as she thought back to her heated makeout with Alex earlier this morning. "I-uh stopped by Polly's house for a second and she invited me in for a glass of water. We chatted for a bit."

"Well that was nice of her. And I'm proud of you. If you keep up the hard work you'll have no problem running track in college."

"Really? Even if that means no more tennis?"

"Yes, really. I know how hard you have been working to improve you times. And even though I always wanted you to like tennis, I know you only play to appease me. Your dad and I are hard on you sometimes, but only because we want what is best for you."

"I know mom. Don't you think I can start figuring these things out on my own, though? Y'know, since I've proven myself to be responsible."

"I suppose so. Maybe it's time for me to start focusing on Cal more. He's always needed more guidance than you, but you're the stubborn one. Been that way since you were a kid." He mom smiled at her.

"Does that mean that you'll stop trying to set me up with guys?" Piper questioned, optimistically.

"Perhaps. But we still have to go out with the Nelsons. It'd be very impolite to cancel our plans."

"Deal." Piper extended her hand out to her mother, nodding her head. "This is a legally binding contract." Her mother laughed at her.

"I did mention you were stubborn, yes?" She accepted the hand her daughter had extended.

"I love you, mom."

"I love you too, Piper. Now help me decide which dress I should wear."

"Sure thing." Piper replied. It would take some time for things to really change, but this was the best conversation she had had with her mother in quite some time.

Piper eventually decided on wearing a navy one piece suit with a light pink floral romper over the top. She wasn't sure if they were going to swim, but if they did she certainly didn't want to be in a skimpy swimsuit. She pulled her hair into a messy bun and applied some makeup before heading downstairs. Her brothers were already downstairs sitting on the couch with her father. Daniel was in a light blue button up, khaki shorts, and a pair of dark brown boat shoes that matched his belt perfectly. Piper loved her brother, but she couldn't help but roll her eyes at his annoyingly preppy look. He always was the favorite. Cal, on the other hand, had on a pair of dark grey cargo shorts, a white t-shirt, and an obnoxious hawaiian shirt on. Piper smiled widely at this.

"Lookin' sharp, Cal." She pointed out.

"Thanks, sis. I thought so. I'm sure mom will agree." He joked. Just then their mom rushed out of the bedroom, slipping on some wedges.

"Oh dear, Calvin. Can't I trust you to dress yourself? You're 15!"

"I'm dressed." He shrugged.

"Alright, ok. Well we don't have any time for you to change so everyone just get in the car." The kids and their father all followed her commands, piling into their grey Porsche SUV. Carol Chapman slid into the passenger seat and they were on their way to the Nelson's home.

They arrived and had a lovely lunch with the family. Piper was introduced to their eldest son Elijah, who was 16. She would admit her was attractive. He had a strong build, a smooth dark complexion and beautiful eyes. Even so, she couldn't stop thinking about how she'd much rather be in the presence of a certain brunette. She tried to be on her best behavior to appease her mother. After their meal, they took a few golf carts down to the boat docks. Piper sat out on the deck for a while before she decided to head into the boat's cabin for a drink. She wasn't even aware that Elijah had followed her until her spoke up from behind her.

"Your mom do this alot?" He inquired.

"What do you mean?"

"Attempt to set you up with a bunch of random teenage guys?"

"Oh, you have no idea." She laughed. "You?" She sat down on the couch.

"Uh, I actually just ended a fairly long term relationship a few months ago. So it's been a while." He joined her.

"Oh I'm sorry."

"It's alright. It just wasn't meant to be. I still miss him sometimes, though."

"_Him_? Do your parents not know you're gay or….?" He chuckled at her question.

"I'm not. I'm actually bi. I don't discriminate." He winked.

"Got it." She nodded. "How did you know….that you're- _you know_?" Piper chastised herself internally for not being able to just come out and say it.

"I don't know, I guess you just know. I always thought I was straight and then I realized that I felt the same feeling when I saw a hot guy as I did when I saw a hot chick." He shrugged. "And then one day I kissed one of said hot guys...and the rest is history." He smirked. "Why do you ask?"

"I think I like girls." She responded quietly, after looking over her shoulder to check that everyone else was still outside. "But I don't know if I _only _like girls. I've just never felt that into a boy. Like definitely not at the same magnitude."

"Well that's ok. You don't have to put some label on yourself. Sexuality is more complicated than just liking or not liking whole groups of people. It's like a spectrum."

"Right, I get that. I guess I just want things to be easy. I don't like feeling like I don't have a definitive answer." She sighed.

"So, I'm assuming this isn't going anywhere?" He chuckled, motioning between the two of them.

"I don't think so." She laughed. "Could you not say anything about any of this to….well anyone?" The blonde requested.

"Of course. My lips are sealed." He smiled genuinely, standing up and walking back out to the deck.

The rest of the day went nicely. Piper was pleased that her mother didn't push anything between her and Elijah. The Nelson's were all super nice, and surprisingly down to earth. They spent the whole day chatting, playing games, and swimming. For the first time in a long time, the blonde actually felt like her family was a real family. By the time they were headed back to the docks, Piper was exhausted from her long day out in the sun. She decided she'd just head straight home with her family and have a nap. She was awoken by a text message around 6:00 pm. Her heart fluttered in anticipation, hoping it would be from Alex. It wasn't.

Polly: Hey, what are you up to?

Piper: Not a whole lot. Why?

Polly: Pete is out with some friends and I'm bored. Wanna come over and bake some cookies with me?

Piper: Sure. I'll be over in a little while.

* * *

"So you're telling me that you called Alex, a girl you've known for like two seconds, 'babe'?!" Polly exclaimed while sliding a tray of cookies into the oven.

"I didn't mean to! It just slipped out."

"Well what'd she say?"

"Nothing! I said it before immediately turning and walking away. She didn't do or say anything."

"Well that's probably a good sign then. Right? Maybe she didn't even notice. Or maybe she did and didn't care. It's ok."

"Right, yeah I guess. I just feel so close to her. Like we were just meant to find each other. I know it sounds stupid because I barely know her but- I don't know. It didn't feel weird to refer to her as 'babe'."

"Have you guys...done anything yet?"

"No! Only kissing and some light touching. I'm nervous." The blonde bit her bottom lip. "She doesn't even know that I'm a virgin, she just thinks I've never had sex with a girl. I want to. I really, _really _do. But...I just want to be good at it. And I don't want her to feel like I'm using her-"

"Ok. Take a breath." Polly placed her hands on the blonde's shoulders. "It's ok. I'm sure that she knows that you're not just using her. And if it's important to you that she knows you're a virgin then you should just bring it up the next time you guys start messing around."

"Whew, ok." Piper sighed, feeling a bit less stressed. After a few moments of silence, Polly spoke up.

"So what exactly did you mean by 'light touching'?" The brunette teased her friend. Piper rolled her eyes at her friend.

* * *

A few days later, Piper convinced Alex to come to the beach with her to watch the sunset. She laid out a blanket and plopped down on it, pulling Alex down next to her. The blonde had yet to mention her slip up a couple days prior. She decided now was a good time.

"I didn't mean to call you babe, y'know?" She questioned with hesitance.

"I know. It's ok though, I thought it was cute."

"It's just- I know it's soon. And we don't even know what we are yet...or if we're anything. I'm not saying that I don't want to be something, because I do it's just-"

"Breathe, Pipes. I get it. We can be whatever you want us to be, ok?"

"I'm just new to all of this. And I'm nervous because I _really_ like you, and I want you to know that."

"I really like you too." Alex smiled, leaning in to kiss the blonde soundly on the lips. Piper pulled back quickly, glancing around the beach. There was no one near them so she decided they were safe to continue. After a moment, Piper backed away. She grabbed the book that she had brought with her tonight.

"Have you ever heard of Audre Lorde?"

"No, I don't think so. A poet, I assume?" Alex raised an eyebrow, smiling widely at the blonde.

"You know me so well." The blonde replied, turning her gaze downward toward her book.

"Coming together

it is easier to work

after our bodies

meet

paper and pen

neither care nor profit

whether we write or not

but as your body moves

under my hands

charged and waiting

we cut the leash

you create me against your thighs

hilly with images

moving through our word countries

my body

writes into your flesh

the poem

you make of me.

Touching you I catch midnight

as moon fires set in my throat

I love you flesh into blossom

I made you

and take you made

into me."

"It's beautiful." Alex whispered in response. "Also kind of sexy." She added with a chuckle.

"I think so too..." The blonde gazed out over the ocean."..Alex, I see you in everything now." The brunette remained silent, but raised her eyebrows. "So much of how I process the world is connected to poetry. I had read this poem before, but I see it so differently now- now that I've started to know you. I understand the intimacy and vulnerability of one's relationship with everything that they are and everything that they do. Being around you. Our _physical _touches-" the blonde paused, feeling her face heat up. "have made me feel so much more in touch with who I am and who I _want_ to be in this world."

"Wow." The brunette responded quietly, a bit taken aback.

"I'm sorry." Piper was a little embarrassed by her impromptu speech.

"No, I just- I feel the same way about you. I've never had a connection like this with anyone before. You don't have anything to apologize for…..babe." Alex finished with a smirk.

"You're such a dork!"

"Says you! You're the poetry nerd."

"Yet you can't resist me." Piper nudged the brunettes shoulder with her own.

"Yeah, well you're pretty incredible." Alex leaned in to kiss the blonde. Piper responded eagerly, wrapping her fingers in her long dark locks. The sun was now almost completely down now, but both girls were too wrapped up in the other to notice. After a while, Piper moved herself to straddle the brunette. Their lips remained locked together. Alex slowly laid back, pulling Piper with her.

The blonde was a bit hesitant but she slid her right leg between those of the brunette. Her right hand remained tangled in her hair, but her left slid down to take residence on one of her generous breasts. She rocked her hips slightly. This caused the brunette to moan and Piper to gasp at the stimulation she hadn't even attempted to receive. She repeated the motion. Piper was surprised by the amount of moisture she could feel in her own panties. The fact that she was wearing a dress meant that Alex could feel it all very well through the singular thin layer of fabric that separated them.

"Fuck, you're wet." Alex said after parting their lips, her voice holding even more rasp than usual.

"I know." Piper blushed, tucking her face into the side of Alex's neck. She placed a small kiss there and willed her face to cool down.

"Hey." Alex lifted her head up to look her in the eyes. "I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"You've barely touched me yet. I'm like a horny teenage boy." Piper covered her face.

"I'm really wet too, y'know?" She pulled her hands from her face by her wrists.

"Really?" Piper inquired, growing even hornier at the thought.

"Yes." Alex took Piper's right hand into her own and trailed it down her torso. She slipped both of their hands under her shorts, keeping them on top of her underwear. "Can you feel it?"

"Fuck. Yes." Piper moaned out as she felt the moisture through the other girls panties. She couldn't believe Alex was equally turned on by her. The brunette pulled both of their hands back up, not wanting to rush the blonde into any more touching. "You're so sexy." Piper whispered, her eyes bouncing between those of the brunette.

"So are you, Pipes." She smirked lowering her hands onto the blonde's ass.

"I have to tell you something." Piper bit her lip. She sat straight up, moving her right leg back to the outside of the other girls'.

"Okay...?" Alex looked at her seriously.

"I know I told you I've never had sex with a _woman_. But-."

"Piper, I don't like where this is headed." Alex raised an eyebrow and her grip on the other girls ass loosened slightly. The blonde giggled, sensing that the brunette thought this was going in a different direction. "What is so funny?" She was starting to become a bit irritated.

"It's true I haven't." Alex rolled her eyes.

"You scared me. So what are you trying to tell me, then?"

"I've also just never had sex….like with anyone." She blonde shut her eyes for a moment, not knowing what reaction to expect.

"You're a virgin?" Alex questioned a bit taken aback. She withdrew her hands, laying them at her sides.

"Yeah, is that a problem?" Piper inquired, a bit hurt that Alex had retracted from their intimate position.

"No. No, obviously not." She reassured her. "I just wish you would have told me. I feel like maybe I took things too far tonight. I was going _first gay experience_ slow, not_ first ever experience_ slow."

"I don't feel pressured at all. Trust me, I've wanted everything that has happened between us. And more." The blonde winked clumsily. Alex smirked at her.

"Ok, good." Alex sat up and Piper remained in her lap, wrapping her legs around her. She pecked her on the lips. "Thank you for telling me." The last of the sun's warm light was hitting the brunettes face in the most exquisite way, highlighting her gorgeous features.

"I am in awe of you." Piper whispered after a moment, slipping her arms around the brunettes neck.

"And I you."

* * *

**A/N: The poem read by Piper in this chapter is "Recreation" by Audre Lorde. I'm aware my analysis of poetry is lackluster, but the poem is really beautiful so I hope you guys can appreciate it for what it is. I kind of screwed myself making Piper a poetry enthusiast as I'm not particularly good at deconstructing it but you knowww. Hope you enjoyed the cute moments and the two girls getting a little frisky haha. -K**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has left reviews. You guys are hilarious and very supportive lol. I'm trying to keep up the writing pace, but I'm a university student with exams coming up. So if I disappear for a little while, I'm not dead. Just incredibly stressed out. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The next morning Piper woke up with a huge smile on her face. After last night, she was certain that she was ready to take the next step with the brunette. No one had ever made her feel as much as Alex had. She felt so seen, valued, and comfortable- and turned on of course. Alex was the first person that she had ever truly wanted to be with in that way.

Piper: Good morning, babe. I know you have to work this morning but maybe we can hang out later? You could come over to my place…?

Alex: Morning, Pipes :) Your place? Really?

Piper: Yeah. My parents will be around, though. That means no getting too frisky.

Alex: Fine with me. I'd like to see your room. I imagine piles of poetry books all over the place.

Piper: Very funny. Text me when you're off work, ok? :)

Alex: You got it, babe. xo

* * *

Alex got off of work around 1:00pm and went home to change and eat lunch, before texting the blonde. Piper told her to come straight over when she was done eating. Alex decided to change into a nice pair of shorts and a black short sleeve button up. She slipped on her pair of all black vans and walked out the door. It was a nice day out so she decided to just walk to the blonde's home. When she arrived, she decided to head straight up to the blondes door. She wasn't sure if Piper was ready to introduce her to her parents yet. She knocked lightly. The blonde swung open the door with a big smile on her face.

"Hey." The blonde had on a pair of leggings and a tank top. Her hair was pulled into a messy but, but she still looked gorgeous.

"Hi." Alex leaned in, placing a small kiss on the other girls cheek. Piper linked their fingers and dragged Alex into her room and shutting the door behind her. The room was a grey-ish blue with white trim and a vaulted ceiling made of white shiplap. A large bed was centered and up against the right hand wall. Alex was not surprised to see a large bookshelf and desk shoved against the opposite wall.

"So this is my room." Piper said awkwardly.

"It's nice."

"Thank you. You wanna maybe watch a show or something?"

"Sureee. You don't have a TV, though." Alex observed after scanning the room another time.

"We can just watch something on my laptop." The blonde shrugged and walked over to her bed. She grabbed her laptop from her side table and plopped down on the right side of the mattress, sitting up against the headboard. Alex remained in her spot in the middle of the room. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Piper questioned. "Get over here." She pat the empty space next to her. The brunette made her way over to the girl, situating herself on top of the comforter.

"Happy now?" Alex teased her. She nudged Piper's foot with her own, their long legs pushed up against each other.

"Very." The blonde replied, her tone entirely sincere. She placed her left hand on the brunette's bare upper thigh, stroking it gently with her thumb. "Now, what do you want to watch?"

"Whatever you want, babe. Preferably nothing with a straight sex scene. I can't go there again." Alex chuckled.

"Noted. Hmmmm, let's see..." Piper murmured, scrolling through her Netflix account.

"Piper, there are some pretty gay things on your Netflix." Alex teased, pointing to the 'Watch It Again' section of her account.

"Leave me alone ok? I don't need your teasing." The blonde pouted toward the girl. Alex couldn't help but stare as her bottom lip stuck out.

"Alright, alright. It was simply and observation." She replied, still staring at her lips.

"Clearly." Piper leaned in to capture Alex's lips, sliding her tongue between them. Suddenly, a knock at the door caused the two to break apart.

"Piper, darling-" The blonde quickly removed her hand from Alex's thigh and increased the distance between them as the door swung open. "-oh, I didn't realize you had a friends over."

"Yeah…mom, this is Alex. Alex this is my mom."

"So nice to meet you Mrs. Chapman." Alex smiled warmly. Carol had on a slight smile, but was eyeing the two suspiciously.

"Nice to meet you too, dear. How do you know our Piper?"

"Oh, we met at the country club a while back. Alex is a lifeguard there." Piper replied casually.

"Ah I see. Anyway, I just came up to bring you these." Her mother lifted the laundry basket in her hands slightly, before setting it on the bench at the foot of her bed. "I didn't mean to intrude. You girls have fun. Piper, don't forget that the Harpers are coming over for dinner tonight. I need you to help me with the cooking later. Alex, you're more than welcome to join us if you'd like."

"Got it. Thanks mom."

"Thank you, Mrs. Chapman. That's very kind of you." Carol simply nodded at the two before exiting her daughter's bedroom.

"Shit. Do you think she saw anything?" Alex inquired after a moment.

"Definitely not. She would have been acting far more unusual if she had." Piper chuckled, letting out a sigh of relief.

"I'm so sorry, Piper. I wasn't thinking."

"Hey. I kissed you, remember? It's ok." The blonde reassured her, placing her hand back on her thigh. "That was a close one, we just have to be more careful."

"Right, yeah."

"I don't think I've ever seen you this nervous. You're acting like me." Piper laughed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just...I don't usually meet parents of girls that I'm seeing. And since you liking a girl would be a pretty big deal to her, I just wanted to make a good first impression.."

"You did, babe. It's all good." She squeezed her thigh lightly. "Now let's watch something before we have to go help my mom get dinner ready."

"_We_?"

* * *

The girls proceeded to watch some old TV shows together. After about 15 minutes, Piper got up to lock her door. She was eager to be close to Alex and didn't want to risk her mom catching them off guard again. She jumped back into the bed and immediately dragged Alex to lay down with her. She placed her laptop on Alex's left, curled up into her side and threw her right leg over her waist. The blonde smiled when she felt her place a soft kiss on the top of her head. The two girls ended up falling asleep in this position, only interrupted up when there was another knock on Piper's door. Piper jolted awake. She noticed that Alex was still asleep and crawled out of bed carefully, unlocking and opening the door.

"Hey Piper." It was her dad.

"Hey daddy. What's up?"

"Your mother told me to come up and get you so you can start helping her with the food. She also said you had a friend over?"

"Yeah, she's actually asleep." Piper opened the door wider, allowing her father to see Alex for the first time. "Give me a second and I'll be down to help."

"Ok, darling." He smiled at her before retreating to the stairs. The blonde made her way to the far side of her bed and placed a hand on Alex's leg, shaking it gently. The brunette stirred, but only slightly. Piper leaned over her and began placing soft kisses across her jaw. Suddenly the brunette's hands came up to grab her face and pull her lips into hers.

"Get up, sleepyhead." Piper spoke quietly, pulling away from their kiss.

"Do I have to?" She groaned.

"Yessss. My mom needs me downstairs to help with dinner."

"Ok, I'm coming."

"Really? You don't have to stay if you don't want to. I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"I'm happy to help. Plus it'd be good for me to make a good impression on your whole family, right?"

"Absolutely." Piper's face lit up.

* * *

"Piper can you get started on the vegetables please?" Her mom called out as the two teen girls entered the kitchen.

"Yeah, of course."

"Alex, you've decided to stay." Alex nodded and Mrs. Chapman smiled at her. "I'm glad." The brunette followed Piper over the cutting board and watched her begin chopping vegetables.

"I can help you with those, Pipes."

"Sure." Piper handed her a knife. She felt her face heat up a bit at her mom having heard Alex's nickname for her. The brunette grabbed some veggies and chopped them in quick, precise movements. "Wow. Show off." Piper winked. "Why are you so good at this?"

"I told you my mom is a chef, didn't I?"

"Right. I guess I just didn't realize she had taught you so much." Sometimes Piper forgot that most mothers and daughters out there actually spent quality time together.

"Very impressive, Alex." Carol spoke up as she walked past the girls to the refrigerator. "You're much more efficient help than Piper." Alex saw the young blonde rolling her eyes at her moms subtle insult.

"I can show you how." Alex shrugged, trying to ease Piper's tension. She stood behind the girl and changed her grip on the knife. "Knife like that, and….let's do an onion." She grabbed the onion and placed it in the blonde's other hand. She guided her in chopping it in half, peeling it, and making small vertical and horizontal incisions. "Now bend your fingers on top of it like this...and use your knuckles to guide the knife. Use a sort of rocking motion as you slice through. Perfect." She whispered, causing Piper to shiver at the warm breath on her neck. Both girls were too captivated by each other to notice Carol Chapman's periodic stares."Now you know how to properly dice an onion." She pulled back.

"Thank you for the help." Piper spoke quietly, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat.

"No problem, kid." The two girls finished with the vegetables quickly, Alex guiding Piper in the correct way to cut each new one.

"Alright. We're done with the veggies, mom."

"Excellent, now I just need you to assemble the tiramisu so it has time to set."

"Okay. Piper made her way to the fridge and grabbed all of the ingredients. She quickly made the marscapone whipped cream mixture, and got some instant espresso mixed in a bowl. Alex began soaking the lady fingers and lining the bottom of the tray Piper's mother had set out. The young blonde helped her finish before spreading a smooth layer of the cream mixture over the top. They repeated the process and their tiramisu was complete. Piper wrapped the dish and put it in the fridge. When she made her way back to Alex she saw her eating some of the leftover cream off of her finger.

"Hey! I want some too." Alex gathered more cream on her finger and lifted it toward the blonde, wiggling her eyebrows. Piper glanced toward her mom, making sure she was still focused on the stove before taking the brunettes finger into her mouth. She swirled her tongue around it before Alex pulled it back out. The brunette was now smirking. The blonde, however, was frowning at the fact that she wasn't able to kiss the smirk right off of her face. Suddenly Carol turned around.

"Alright, that's all I needed from you. Thank you both. Piper, you can head up to your room and get cleaned up before the Harper's arrive." Her mom walked out of the kitchen, presumably to do the same thing. Piper grabbed Alex's hand and dragged her upstairs to her room. As soon as they were inside, she had her shoved up against the door. She immediately pulled her into a searing kiss. Alex's hands made their way to her ass, cupping it firmly through her thin leggings. The brunette moaned.

"Shhhh." Piper pulled back to warn her, not wanting her brothers to hear them from their rooms across the hall.

"I can't help it." Alex smirked. Piper locked the door before spinning them around and knocking Alex back onto her bed. She straddled her and continued their steamy kiss, placing both of her hands over the brunette's breasts and moaning against her lips. "Piper." She pulled back. "As much as I'm enjoying this. And trust me, I'm _really _enjoying this. I think we should both get ready."

"You're right." The blonde sighed, removing her hands from the other girls chest and removing herself from her lap.

"To be continued." Alex said, biting her lip.

Piper asked Alex's opinion on multiple dresses before she settled on a plain navy one that wrapped tightly around her waist. The brunette was couldn't help but stare as Piper changed right in front of her. The girl was in a dusty pink lace thong and a small matching bralette. It took all of the restraint she had not to walk over to her and take her right there. Piper caught her staring in the reflection and smiled softly, expressing that she was feeling the exact same way. The two fixed up their hair and makeup together and were ready for dinner in no time.

"So who are the Harpers?" Alex questioned.

"Oh, it's just Polly's family. I forgot that you didn't know that. Just her and her parents...and I'm sure she'll drag her boyfriend Pete along."

"Ok. I think I can handle that."

"Also fair warning: both Polly and Pete know about _us_. Aaand my younger brother Cal is probably going to be staring at you."

"What? Why?"

"Because you're hot and he's 15." Piper shrugged, not feeling the need to elaborate.

* * *

When the doorbell rang, the two girls made their way downstairs to greet the guests. Piper reached out to hug Polly first. When the two pulled apart, she saw her best friend sending her a curious look and glancing at Alex. The blonde simply shrugged with a huge grin on her face. They all greeted each other quickly, and Alex stood back awkwardly.

"Everyone, this is Alex." Piper officially introduced her to the rest of her family and Polly's parents. She had made a conscious effort not to introduce her as a friend. They all greeted her politely.

Their dinner went off without a hitch. The pair sat sandwiched between Piper's older brother and her best friend, which helped them both to feel less on edge. Alex's charm was not lost on anyone at the table and Piper was beyond pleased. Throughout the meal, she found herself unable to keep her eyes off of the brunette. Every once in awhile she'd run her right hand up and down the girls thigh under the table. When they were finished eating, they all said their goodbyes and Piper and Alex headed up to the blonde's bedroom one last time. They walked through her bedroom and out onto the balcony.

"It's getting kind of dark. I'll drive you back to your place." Piper offered. Alex accepted and the two got into her car, taking off down the road.

"I know this was all a little bit unexpected, but it's been really amazing. You've definitely won everyone over." Piper said with a laugh.

"They might feel differently when they find out if corrupted you." She smirked.

"Maybe...Speaking of corrupting me," Alex raised her eyebrows. "I was sort of hoping we could _hang out_ at your place tomorrow night."

"Really?" Alex questioned, picking up on Piper's not-so-subtle hint as to what 'hanging out' entailed.

"Yeah, I mean if you want..?"

"I _definitely_ want that." When the two arrived at Alex's house, Piper got out with her and walked her up to the door.

"So I'll see you tomorrow night?" Piper smiled.

"Mmm, yes." Alex pulled Piper's body into hers. The blonde was quick to lean in for a deep kiss. After a few second, she pulled back to stare into the girl's green eyes.

"'Night, kid." The brunette replied before unlocking her front door.

"Goodnight." Piper couldn't wipe the smile off of her face for the rest of the night.

* * *

**A/N: Hopefully you guys like where this is headed and don't feel like it's super rushed. As the story is written now, the next chapter is their first time. I hope you're cool with that, because I'm probably too lazy to go back and change it now haha. -K**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Fair warning that the latter part of this chapter is very much M rated. This fic is my first time ever attempting to write smut so please take that into consideration. I did my best.**

The following day Piper was both more excited and more nervous than she had felt in a long time. She had essentially told Alex that she had planned on having sex with her for the first time tonight. The blonde was eager to go all the way with the gorgeous girl, but she was also nervous that she wouldn't be good at it. She knew the basics of female anatomy, and had gotten herself off plenty of times. But she figured giving another girl an orgasm was a completely different concept. She decided to read for a while, as that was the most effective way for her to distract her brain. A little after 3pm she decided to invite Polly over to help calm her nerves and make the time go by a bit faster.

"Last night's dinner went so well. I'm assuming none of your family knows about you and Alex yet, though?"

"That would be correct. She's made a really good impression though. I'm starting to think things might work out ok."

"So what's up? You said you wanted to talk about something?"

"I think I'm gonna have sex with Alex tonight."

"Really!?" Polly squealed.

"Yessss." Piper grinned.

"That's so exciting!"

"I know! I'm still nervous though. I'm definitely ready, but I want it to be good for her. What if I can't- you know…?"

"It's gonna be alright. You told her it's your first time, right?"

"Yeah."

"So, she'll get it if you don't know how to do everything. I don't envy you, though. Boys are a lot easier." Polly joked.

"Ugh." The blonde groaned.

"It's gonna be alright. It can't be _that _hard, right?"

"I guess." Piper shrugged.

"Let's just focus on something else, ok? What're you gonna wear?"

"Hmmmm. Probably just some shorts and a random top."

"Ok, let's look around your closet for something simple and sexy." The two perused her closet for a while, finally picking out some medium blue high-waisted shorts and a white shirred tube top. The blonde also picked out a black belt and her black converse. She laid the clothing out on the end of her bed.

"Now what am I meant to do? I'm not going over to hers until 6:30 to have dinner."

"I don't know, maybe we can hang out with your brother's for a bit? Play a game or something." Polly offered up, attempting to find a good way to distract her friend.

"Yeah, ok."

The two girls made their way into the hallway, first knocking in Daniel's door. He agreed to hang out with them for a bit before his girlfriend was meant to come over. Cal was easy to persuade as he spent most of his summers sitting alone in the dark whilst playing video games. The group of teens made their way back into Pipers room and sat on the floor. They decided on playing Rummy, as she already had a deck of cards in the room.

"So is that Alex chick from last night single?" Cal spoke up as Daniel was dealing the cards.

"No, she's seeing someone." Piper replied quickly.

"Damn, she's pretty hot."

"I know." Piper blurted out. "I mean-"

"She's a pretty girl." Polly tried to save her friend from her slip up.

"You know it's ok that you like her right?" Daniel questioned casually.

"What?! What are you talking about Dan?" The blonde questioned.

"Seriously?" He raised an eyebrow at her. "It's so obvious that you like her-"

"Are you for real? I didn't pick up on that at all." Cal said, confusedly.

"Plus I saw you rubbing her thigh under the table last night during dinner." Her older brother added with a smirk.

"Well shit."

"It's not a big deal, sis. I don't care who you like as long as you're happy."

"I am." Piper smiled.

"Yeah. I mean you know I don't give a shit." Cal shrugged. "I am kind of jealous of you though. Are you telling me that my _sister_ pulls more hot chicks than me?" Cal questioned exasperatedly.

"Looks like it." Daniel teased him, patting him roughly on the back.

"Hey, you're one to talk. Alex is way hotter than Heather." Cal declared.

"Ok boys, that's enough." Piper broke them up, laughing. "I love you both. Thank you for being cool about this."

"Love you too, nerd." Daniel.

"You got it, sis." Her younger brother replied. The blonde sighed in relief. She had definitely not intended on coming out to her brothers tonight, so she was glad things went smoothly. The group carried on their game as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. They played cards and chatted for quite some time. When 5:00 rolled around, Piper decided to start getting ready so she could take her time.

* * *

She had anticipatorily removed all of her body hair the previous night, but she decided it's be a good idea to take a quick shower to freshen up. She threw her hair up in a bun and stepped under the warm stream of water. The blonde immediately felt the release of tension she wasn't even aware she was holding. She lathered her body in her favorite body wash and rubbed at the tight muscles on her shoulders. After she was completely refreshed, she stepped out of the shower and put some light moisturizer on her face. She walked out of the bathroom in her towel and was met with Polly sitting on her bed, scrolling through her phone.

"Have a nice shower?" She questioned, her eyes not leaving her phone screen.

"Yes, that is exactly what I needed. I feel so much more relaxed now."

"Everything taken care of _down there_?" Her friend looked up her eyes scanning the lower half of her body.

"Yes it is, thank you." Piper rolled her eyes. "What should I do with my hair?"

"Hmm...I think down in loose waves. But bring a hair tie just in case." Polly shrugged casually. Piper felt her face flush at the last comment, her mind immediately going to an inappropriate place.

"Right, thanks." She made her way back into the bathroom and started doing her hair with a large curling iron. Once she was finished with that she began doing her makeup. She decided to go with a natural look. She was most comfortable with light makeup and she knew that Alex liked seeing her that way. She was done getting ready a little before 6:00 pm and walked back into her room. Polly was now sitting in her desk chair. The blonde grabbed her clothes from the end of the bed and started getting ready. She had forgotten to lay out underwear so she grabbed a black lace thong from her drawer. She slipped the underwear on and shorts on over them. She also pulled her tube top over her head.

"Should I wear a strapless bra under this?"

"Nah, just go without. I'm sure Alex will love that." Polly advised.

"Probably true." Piper laughed, sliding her belt on and tightening it.

"So what're you guys doing for dinner?"

"Uhhh, I don't know. We're eating at her place, so I guess she's making something."

"Awww, that's so sweet. Pete has never done anything like that for me…..although I'm not sure his cooking skills would make for a very romantic evening." Polly frowned as she pondered the thought.

"I know. She's really good in the kitchen because of her mom." The blonde smiled, ignoring the latter part of the brunette's statement.

"You should take some wine with you or something. You know, it'll set the mood and help you stay relaxed. Plus she's working hard on the food part."

"Yeah, I guess. I don't know if I can get some without my parents noticing, though."

"Don't worry about it, I've got you covered." Polly shrugged. The two girls walked downstairs scanning the house for Piper's parental figures. They discovered that Bill was in his office on the phone. They hadn't encountered Carol on their way to the kitchen.

"Okay, what am I looking for?" The blonde questioned her friend.

"Anything red." Polly shrugged. Piper was about to reach for the door of the wine cabinet when a voice startled her.

"Hey. What are you girls up to?"

"Not much, mom. Just looking for a snack." Piper responded as casually as she could.

"Oh, alright. Polly I didn't know that you were coming over."

"Oh, yeah. Just for a while. Piper and I were actually thinking about staying at my place tonight. If that's ok?"

"That'll be just fine, dear."

"You know, earlier today my mom was telling me about the new sconces you've installed in the den. I'd love to see them." Polly

"Of course. They're very nice. They really add to the ambience of the room." Her mom lit up, grabbing Polly by the hand. "Piper do you mind if I steal her for a moment?"

"No not at all." Piper responded, watching as her mother dragged her friend toward the den. "Thank you." The blonde mouthed to Polly. She quickly grabbed a bottle of red wine out of the cabinet, a bottle opener, and a paper bag before rushing up to her room. She set the bottle to the side of her bed before rushing back down to the kitchen.

"You're absolutely right, Mrs. Chapman. They really balance out the room in such a beautiful way." Polly called out, unnecessarily loud, warning Piper that they were on their way back to the main living area. The young blonde quickly grabbed a bag of chex mix out of a cabinet before meeting the two in living room.

"Alright, Pol. That's enough interior design talk for you tonight." Piper grabbed her friends arm, tugging her back upstairs. "Thanks for indulging her, mom. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright, Piper. Have fun tonight." Her mom called to the two as the made their way up to her room.

"If only she knew how much fun you're gonna have tonight." Polly whispered to her friend, earning her a light slap on the arm.

"Hey, I just saved your ass back there. I get to make as many jokes as I want."

"True, thank you for that. Here is your reward." Piper threw the bag of chex mix at her friend.

"Gee thanks. It's getting kind of late, you should probably head out to your date." Piper nodded, slipped on her shoes, and grabbed her car keys. She grabbed the wine bottle and shoved it in the paper bag. "That's not suspicious at all." Polly teased her friend. The blonde simply raised her middle finger at her friends.

"Ok, c'mon. I'll drop you off at your place on the way." Piper did exactly that and pulled into Alex's driveway around 6:26. She took a deep breath, grabbed her bottle of wine and made her way up to the door. She knocked gently.

"Hey, Pipes." She was greeted by the brunette looking absolutely stunning. She had on a short tight black dress. Her hair was down in curls and she wore a bright red lipstick. She had a kitchen towel thrown over her left shoulder. The blonde's jaw dropped

"Fuck. You look amazing, Alex."

"So do you babe."

"I feel bad, I didn't dress up very much." Piper blushed.

"Nonsense. Come on in. I just finished dinner."

"Mmmm." Piper moaned as she entered the home. "It smells amazing in here." The blonde slipped off her shoes and placed them by the front entrance.

"Homemade pasta and red sauce." Alex smirked.

"You're amazing." Piper kissed her on the cheek. "I brought this." She removed the bottle of wine from the bag.

"Oh, you little rebel Piper Chapman." She winked. "Thank you, red wine will go perfectly with this." Piper followed her into the kitchen and opened the bottle of wine. The brunette didn't have any wine glasses but she did have short glasses with a similar rounded shape. She filled the cups, walking over the place them on the table. Alex followed right behind her with two plates with pasta, side salads and toast. "Tada."

"It looks amazing, Al. Thank you for doing this."

"Of course. I've missed cooking good meals." The two sat down across from each other.

"Cheers…" Piper lifted her glass of wine, Alex mirroring her. "...to us." Piper finished with a blush.

"To us." The two clinked their glasses and took a sip before they began eating their dinner. Piper took her first bite and moaned emphatically.

"Mmm. Alex this is unbelievable."

"I can't take all the credit. I learned everything I know from my mom."

"It's so nice that you two share that." Piper smiled sincerely.

"Yeah. We kind of share everything, though." Alex laughed.

"I came out to my brothers today." Piper blurted out, wanting to get off of the topic of moms for now.

"What?" Alex looked her wide-eyed.

"Yeah. It wasn't intentional. I may or may not have slipped and said something about you being hot. But Daniel had already kind of deduced that we were more than just friends."

"Really? I thought they all seemed pretty oblivious."

"Yeah, apparently not everyone. He told me that he saw me rubbing your thigh at dinner, though. So that probably just confirmed any suspicions."

"So how did it go?"

"It went well. Dan was surprisingly cool with the whole thing. And as you know, Cal doesn't really give a shit about anything. He was just jealous that I 'pull more hot chicks than him'." Alex chuckled at this.

"Well that's good then, right?" Piper nodded, smiling at the girl sitting across from her. "I'm happy for you."

"Me too. It feels so good to have more people know." The blonde said, taking another bite of pasta.

"Well I'm glad you're feeling good." Alex winked. Piper blushed, only thinking about the other girl's potential to make her feel good in a completely different way. The two girl maintained a comfortable banter throughout their meal, each having finished one glass of wine by the end.

"Thank you again for doing this, Al. Everything was absolutely incredible."

"You're welcome, babe."

"I'll take care of the dishes since you did the hard part." The blonde cleared both of their plates and glasses before Alex had time to protest, making her way over to the sink.

She set the glasses in the bottom and rinsed each plate carefully. Suddenly she felt the pressure of Alex's full figure pressed against her back. She smirked. The brunette reached around her, placing a towel in her hands so she could dry them. As she did so, Alex's hands slid across the front of her body, eventually taking residence on her perky breasts. She smirked at the feeling of her stiff nipples straining against her thin top.

The blonde smiled and turned around to face her. She immediately pulled her into a heated kiss. She was not willing to wait any longer. Alex trailed her lips down the side of Piper's neck, and the blonde tangled her long fingers in her hair, holding her tightly against her skin. Her hands slid down the brunette's body, clutching her ass firmly through her skin tight dress. Alex moaned against her chest as she moved lower and lower. Eventually, she was right at the edge of her top. She slowly pulled the left side of the top down, exposing one of the girl's breasts. She placed a few more light kisses before gently sucking the erect nipple into her mouth. The blonde let out a shaky breath.

"Wait, wait, wait." Piper whispered out quickly, pulling the brunette's face away from her chest. Alex immediately froze thinking that perhaps she was having second thoughts.

"What's wrong?" Alex questioned, examining her facial expression carefully.

"Nothing." The blonde stroked her cheek and smiled softly at her. "Just- we should take this to the bedroom before it gets too heated."

"Right, got it." Alex immediately sped to her room, pulling the other girl behind her. Piper giggled at her fervor.

* * *

The girls stumbled into Alex's bedroom. The brunette pushed Piper by her shoulders until she was sat on the edge of her mattress. She spread the blondes legs apart and stood between them, turning around. The blonde immediately reached for the zipper at the top of her dress and slid it all the way down. As the garment fell to the floor, she began placing open-mouthed kissing down the woman's spine. After a moment, Alex turned back around. Piper could feel herself becoming wetter each second, now seeing the brunette in only her skimpy dark red underwear and push-up bra. The older girl smirked at her.

"Now you." She rasped before bringing their lips together again. As the kiss heated up, she undid the blonde's belt and threw it to the floor. She undid the button and zipper of her shorts before sliding them down her legs. Piper helped by lifting off of the bed and kicking them off when they fell to her feet. Alex pulled back before climbing onto her bed on her knees. She grabbed the blonde's hand to help her swing around and assume the same position. Piper immediately reached for the other girl's breasts, kneading them gently. She moaned the the feeling of her breasts spilling of her the cups of her bra. "You want it off?" Alex inquired, her voice low.

"Yesss." The blonde slid her hands around to the back of the bra, trying to make sense of the clasps. After a few moments she was able to differentiate between the two sides and pinch them together to slide the hooks out. She was grateful for Alex's patience.

"Nicely done, kid." The brunette smirked at her. Her smile only grew wider when Piper's gaze fell to her bare breasts.

"Fuck." The blonde murmured. She slowly raised her hands up to cup her chest again, smiling when she felt her nipples harden under her palms. "You're so beautiful, Alex." She whispered before leaning in to kiss the girl, being more brazen with the movements of her tongue this time.

Their mouths moved in perfect synchronicity. The brunette wrapped her hands around the waistband of Piper's thong, pulling their hips closer together. The blonde couldn't resist any longer and abandoned the other girl's lips to give her breasts a more intimate caress. She placed soft kisses around each of them before finally placing her mouth directly over the stiff peak, swirling her tongue around it. She felt the other girl grip at her jaw, bringing them face to face once again.

"I want to focus on you first." The brunette whispered, earnestly. She gripped the bottom of her tube top and rolled it up her slender body and over her arms. Gripping the girls shoulder's she slowly lowered her until she was laying flat against the bed. Their lips met again, and after a few minutes Alex's hands reached down to grab at Piper's underwear. "Is this ok?"

"Yes." The blonde whispered against her lips. "Take me." Alex swiftly removed her thong and threw it off to the side, planning to do just that. She made her way down her neck and chest placing wet kisses. She wanted to make sure the blonde was as turned on as possible to make this experience enjoyable. When her thigh grazed over the girls center, she was made aware that she had nothing to worry about. Her leg was coated in the other girls arousal from one accidental light touch. She groaned against the girls chest. Her right hand slowly slid down the blonde's lithe frame, as she was unable to wait any longer to touch her. She started lightly, ghosting her fingers lightly over her folds. She was soaking wet. Piper's eyes fluttered at the feeling. She slowly slid her finger lower, dipping only the tip into her entrance.

"Are you ready?" Alex checked in with her one last time.

"Please, Alex. I want you inside of me." She rocked her hips upward gently, causing her finger to slide in a bit further. Alex couldn't help the groan that left her at hearing this request. She planted her lips on the blondes neck, sucking tenaciously. She slowly pushed her finger all the way inside the girl. She pulled it out and repeated the same motion. The blonde moaned quietly, gripping at the brunettes hair. "Yessss."

"Is that ok?" Alex whispered, her hot breath on the blonde's neck.

"Ahh, yes." The blonde moved her hands to the girl's ass, increasing the pressure she put behind each thrust. "More- please." Alex obliged and slowly added another finger in alongside the first. The blonde moaned and whimpered, both thrusting her hips up and pulling Alex's down with her hands. With each thrusting motion, the brunette's palm was gliding perfectly across her clit. Every so often she hooked her fingers, rubbing over her g-spot delicately.

"You're so fucking hot, Pipes. I'm so glad I'm the first person who gets to have you in this way. To make you come."

"Fuck." The blonde cried out as the brunette rubbed her clit and hit the perfect spot inside of her simultaneously. "Keep going. Keep talking to me." She urged her, her nails digging into the flesh of her ass cheeks.

"I love feeling you grinding up against me. Taking all of the pleasure that you can. Your pussy is so wet for me." The brunette husked into her ear. That was all it took. After all, Piper Chapman did have a thing for words. And she was certain that every word sounded better falling from Alex's lips. She moved her hands back up to the back of Alex's head taking her lips into hers.

"Uhn, I'm coming!" Piper cried out against the other girls lips. "Ohmygod! Fuck." Her hips thrust upward one last time before rocking gently against the brunettes. Her core tightened firmly around the brunettes finger's. Alex waited for her to come down from her orgasm before slowly removing her fingers and bringing them up toward her mouth. Piper watched in awe as the girl slid her two soaked fingers between her swollen lips. She couldn't believe how amazing that all just felt.

"Fucking hell, that was sexy." Alex murmured.

"Holy shit. You're so good at that." Piper replied, still slightly out of breath. "I mean _I've_\- but I've never…" The blonde trailed off, deciding not to elaborate on her masturbation habits right now.

"You ain't seen nothing yet, kid." The brunette said with a smirk. Piper felt herself becoming even wetter as Alex slowly kissed and licked her way down her body. She paused at her chest from a moment, giving precise attention to each breast, before continuing her journey. She placed a kiss on her mound causing the blonde to gasp slightly. "Are you comfortable?" The brunette checked in. Piper nodded, biting her lip. She tangled her long fingers in the other girl's locks, encouraging her to continue.

She already had the blonde trembling with anticipation as she placed soft kisses and licks on her inner thighs. Her hands squeezed gently at the top of the girl's toned thighs. She slowly moved closer and closer to the girls swollen core, placing more kisses on her outer lips. She looked up at the blonde to see her staring intently. Finally she slid her tongue over the girl's folds gently, lapping at her sweet juices. The girl threw her head back at the feeling of the warm tongue against her throbbing core. She let out a low moan and solidified her grip of the girl's hair.

Alex slid her tongue all around, dipping it inside of her every once in a while. As she lapped at the girl's core she could feel her movements becoming more and more desperate. She slid her tongue all the way up to the girls click and flicked her tongue up and down before swirling it.

"Ahh…" The blonde cried out, her hips bucking up against the girls mouth. Alex smirked and continued her motions, moving her tongue all the way down her slit to collect her juices and then sliding it back up to her sensitive bud.

Having enjoyed Piper's earlier reaction to penetration, she decided to slowly slide one slender finger into the girl as she continued the focus on her clit with her tongue. As the blonde became closer and closer she began to rock harder against her, letting out strangled moans. The brunette gave one last curl of her finger and sucked her clit into her mouth with just enough force to bring her crashing over the edge.

"Ohhh, ahh…" Piper moaned out, becoming increasingly louder and more high pitched. The brunette felt her coming hard around her finger, her clit throbbing between her lips. "Fuck."

As soon as the waves of her orgasm had ended, she pulled Alex up to crash their lips together. She let out another moan at the taste of herself on the other woman. The brunette's finger was still inside her so she gently withdrew it and brought it up between them. Piper hesitated for a moment before sucking the wet digit into her mouth and licking it clean. She smirked when she saw Alex's pupils dilate even more.

"Jesus Christ, Pipes." She moaned, not quite believing that everything that had just transpired wasn't some sort of immaculate dream.

"That was amazing. Your tongue felt so amazing on me." Piper purred, her face heating up slightly at the admission. Luckily her face was already flushed, so Alex was none the wiser.

"I'm glad, babe. You taste so fucking good." The blonde pulled her into a searing kiss. Her hands slid down her neck and shoulders, finding residence on their new favorite place to be; Alex's gorgeous breasts. She massaged them gently under her palms as they kissed. Alex moaned at her ministrations and Piper smirked, pulling their lips apart and staring into her dark green eyes.

"I want to taste what you taste like." She breathed, before sitting up and guiding Alex to switch positions with her. She straddled the girl, refocusing her attention on her chest. The blonde took her time showering them with attention before finally sucking each nipple into her mouth. She smirked as she felt Alex tightly gripping at her head, desperate to keep her there. As much as she loved her tits, she was ready to explore new territory. She was desperate to make Alex feel same the way that she had just made her feel.

She kissed and nipped a line down the middle of the girl's stomach. When she reached her bellybutton, she dipped her tongue in slightly, causing the brunette to let out a husky giggle. She continued her path until she was situated between long, pale legs. She placed open-mouthed kissed all the way up her thighs, taking her time. She grasped at the edge of her underwear and slid them down her legs. The blonde was beyond pleased when she got her first look at the brunettes core, she was absolutely dripping in arousal. She placed a small peck right above the girl's clit before lowering her head slightly.

"Are you are you're ready?" Alex questioned, her breaths shallow. The blonde smiled at her thoughtfulness, before smirking. She decided to show Alex just ready she was. "I don't want you to feel pre-Ohhh." Alex's thoughts were interrupted as Piper got straight to work, lapping at her pussy. "Oh, fuck. Ok-"

The blonde moaned against her sensitive core at the first taste of her. She wasn't quite sure what she had expected, but it wasn't this. Alex's juices were sweet with a slight tang. Piper was certain she would never get enough of exploring this girls impeccable body. She made sure to take her time, remembering how much Alex's working her up had strengthened her orgasm. She wanted her to be desperate to come for her.

The movements of her tongue were precise and careful. Alex would have been surprised by this coming from a virgin, if she hadn't been well-aware Piper and her meticulous nature. She tried to let the blonde stay in control, but couldn't help but roll her hips every once in a while, reveling in the feeling of the girl's warm mouth on her. She felt herself growing closer to the edge and the intensity of Piper's movements increased in perfect synchronicity. The blonde could hear the increase in the girls breaths and feel the way her tension in her body was building.

She slid her tongue down her slit and pushed it as deep into her pussy as she could, curling it to massage her upper wall. She placed her right hand over the girls mound, sliding her thumb up her wet slit and swirling it around her clit. Alex's hips raised off the bed, taking the girls tongue as far in as she could. The blonde could feel her core pulsing tighter and tighter around her and increased the pressure and speed of her thumb on her clit.

"Ah! Fuck, I'm gonna come…" She husked out. One last thrust of her tongue and swipe of her thumb was all it took for her to fall apart. "Pipes!" She cried out with one last thrust of her hips. The blonde continued her motions, helping the girl ride out the waves of her orgasm. Once she had settled back into the bed, she climbed back up, laying flush against her.

"Was that okay?" Alex couldn't believe the adorable grin on the face of the girl whose face was just buried into her core.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Fuck. That was so hot, babe." She raised her hand to the blonde's jaw, wiping her juices from the girls lips and chin.

"Good." The blonde smiled, pecking her on the lips. "I enjoyed it too." She mumbled against her mouth, biting at her bottom lip. As their kiss deepened the blonde began grinding against Alex, accidentally rubbing over her center with her thigh.

"Fuck." The brunettes head fell back, her pussy still sensitive from her intense orgasm.

"Sorry." Piper whispered, pulling her thigh back. She moaned when the cool air made it obvious just how much moisture had transferred onto her thigh.

"Keep going." Alex moaned, gripping at Piper's ass to make her grind against her. Piper obliged, grinding her thigh against her. The pressure from Alex's hands caused her own center to settle on the girls pale thigh. They both moaned at the feeling.

"You're so wet babe." Piper moaned out, nipping at the brunette's ear. "I want you to come again for me."

"Uhn, yesss." Alex groaned. The two girls increased the movements of their hips until they were both right on the edge.

"Let go for me." Piper whispered. Alex complied, allowing her orgasm to take her over. The feeling of her pulsating core against her thigh caused Piper to tumble over the edge right along with her. The two moaned together, grinding through their orgasm before slowly stilling against each other.

"Holy fuck." Alex breathed out.

"My sentiments exactly." Piper giggled, she rolled off of the brunette to cuddle into her side, resting her head on her chest. Alex pulled the blanket at the foot of the bed over the two of them and planted a kiss on the blonde's head.

"Al?"

"Yes babe?"

"Will you...will you be my girlfriend?"

"Yes." Alex smirked.

"Yes?" Piper squealed.

"Yes, you dork." The two shared a sweet kiss before cuddling back into each other. Piper was certain that her first time could not have been more perfect.

* * *

**A/N: I am currently stressing _very _hard about an exam I have tomorrow, but I hope you are all doing well. This chapter was already written so I decided to post it really quickly as to not leave you guys hanging too long. Let me know what you think. I tried to keep it sentimental and sexy, but I always struggle to find balance balance haha. -K**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Huge thanks for the well wishes concerning my exam! You guys are so nice haha. I survived, so I should have more free time now to keep up with the writing of this story. ****As of right now, I'm not too ahead, so let me know if there's anything you really want me to include at some point and I'll do my best! ****Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. -K**

* * *

Piper awoke the following morning still curled against the brunette. The lifted her head slightly to plant a kiss against her neck before climbing out of bed to head to the bathroom. She quickly went pee and washed her hands. She decided to hop into the girls shower to rinse off quickly and release some of the tension in her muscles. She was rinsing off her face when she was started by a pair of hands on her lower back. She jumped up and turned quickly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"S'okay. Good morning." She smiled at the girl.

"Good morning indeed." Alex replied her hands gripping her girlfriend's chest.

"Perv." Piper smirked.

"I can't help it. You make me so wet, babe."

"Oh yeah?" She questioned, lowering her hand to the brunette's core. She was not disappointed by the amount of moisture she found there.

"Yesss." Alex moaned against her lips. Piper quickly pushed a finger into her center, meeting no resistance. She added a second finger and began curling them to massage her G-spot. She used her hips to increase the force against the girl's clit on each thrust. "Fuck." She moaned out.

"Are you gonna come for me?" Piper whispered on her lips, moving down to suck on the side of her neck.

"Ahhh yes." The blonde moved even further down until she was low enough to capture an erect nipple between her lips. Her core fluttered around her fingers.

"Do it. Let go for me." Alex's body did exactly that, her orgasm ripping through her. She wrapped her arms around Piper's neck to keep her knees from collapsing as she came. After her orgasm, the couple held each other close both trying to catch their breath. The brunette recovered quickly and dropped to her knees, immediately throwing one of Piper's legs over her shoulder and sucking her pussy into her mouth.

"Fuck." Piper called out, her head falling back against the wall of the shower. "Ahhh…" Alex was not holding back. This feeling was a stark contrast to the soft movements of her tongue the night before. This was raw, her movements bold and intentional. The brunette moaned against her core. Piper immediately felt the familiar build of an orgasm in her lower stomach. "I'm going to come already." The blonde said in surprise, simultaneously warning her girlfriend. "Oh- I'm coming! I'm coming!-"

"Show don't tell." Alex pulled back to reply, immediately placing her mouth back on her. The blonde did exactly that, coming hard on the brunettes face. She continued moaning until her body had calmed down, pulling the brunette up for a kiss. The two continued their shower together, actually getting clean before they were interrupted by the sound of Alex's doorbell.

"Who is that?" Piper questioned, knowing that Alex didn't really know anyone here other than her.

"Oh shit!" Her eyes widened and she turned off the water. She immediately stepped out of the shower, almost slipping as she reached for a towel. She threw one to Piper, who began drying off as well. "I forgot my mom was coming to see me today around noon. We must have slept in later than I thought."

"Shit! Your mom?!" Piper panicked. The two made their way back into her bedroom.

"It's ok. You just take your time getting dressed and I'll keep her occupied." Alex slipped on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and attempted to dry her hair a bit.

"Ok, right." Piper whispered, suddenly feeling very nervous. She had no idea she would be meeting Alex's mother anytime soon.

"Just come out whenever you're ready." Alex pecked her on the lips one last time before retreating into the living area. Piper heard a quiet "Hey mom!" Through the bedroom door. She made quick work of putting her outfit from last night back on. She dried her hair to the best of her ability, scrunching it in the towel to give it a slight wave. Looking in the bathroom mirror, she wiped of any remaining makeup from yesterday, deciding that was the best she could do for the moment. She made her way to the bedroom door and took one last deep breath.

"It's a really nice place, Al. Almost better than our actual home." Piper heard her mom joking. "It's a pretty a-" She paused, making eye contact with the blonde. "Oh I didn't know you had a friend over." The blonde smiled awkwardly slowly walking toward the women.

"Right. Mom, this is Piper." The older Vause had on light blue shorts, a white t-shirt, a leather jacket and boots. The blonde was a bit thrown off by how young she looked, forgetting momentarily that she had become pregnant with Alex as a teenager.

"It's so nice to meet you, Ms. Vause. I've heard so much about you." She extended her right hand.

"Ah, Piper. I've heard lots about you as well." The older woman pulled her into a hug. The blonde stiffened a bit before relaxing in her maternal embrace. "And please, call me Diane." She said as she pulled back form their hug.

"Of course, Diane. It's so great to meet the woman who raised Alex. She really is a credit to all of your hard work."

"This one's gorgeous Al, and very polite. Quite the catch." Diane remarked.

"So what do you want to do for lunch? I can make something here or we can go out somewhere…?"

"Well I'd like to go out somewhere, looks like you've both had a shower…?" Her mother winked at her, knowingly.

"Mommm, I desperately do not want to talk about this. It's really not your business what I do with my girlfriend."

"Alexandra Pearl Vause, you did not tell me that Piper was your _girlfriend_!" Diane cried out excitedly.

"It's a recent development." Alex said, her face heating up.

"Your name is Alexandra? And your middle name is Pearl?!" Piper exclaimed, excited and confused by this new information.

"Yessss." Alex groaned.

"What? I think it's beautiful." Piper kissed her girlfriend on the cheek.

"I do too." Diane smiled warmly at her.

"Alright you two, let's go out to lunch." Alex interrupted the two, secretly thrilled that her mom had immediately taken a liking to the blonde.

* * *

The three women got into Piper's car, driving down to _Beachside_ to enjoy a nice lunch together. The drive was filled with comfortable chatter. The blonde was surprised by how comfortable she felt around Diane. She guessed it was because she and Alex were so similar. It became increasingly clear that her mother was the origin of many of her amazing qualities. They arrived at the restaurant and made their way in. They were lead to a four person table, the young blonde sat across from her girlfriend's mother. The three placed their orders and kept talking as they waited for their food to arrive.

"So Piper, Alex tells me you come here every summer with your family?"

"Yeah, we've had a summer house out here ever since I was little."

"That's lovely. Al and I can barely afford the one apartment. I guess that's New York City."

"Yeah." Piper chuckled. "Alex said that you're a chef?"

"I am! Currently the sous-chef at a small restaurant right in the city. I'd like to be able to afford my own place some point."

"Well if half of what Alex has told me about you is true, I'm sure you'll get there in no time." The blonde smiled warmly.

"How'd you get such a well-mannered one, Al?"

"What are you implying exactly?" Alex chuckled. "I'm delightful."

"Whatever you say." Diane teased her. "So Piper, Alex told me that you're going into you senior year just like her." The blonde nodded. "Do you know what you want to go to college for?"

"Planning to major English Language and Literature. I think I'd like to be a high school teacher, maybe do some writing on the side."

"That sounds lovely. Alex has told me how much you like to read. I swear this one." She gestured toward her daughter. "Had read more books by the time she was 10 than I have in my whole life." They all laughed.

"What can I say? I like burying my nose in a good book and forgetting about the real world." Alex shrugged.

"Sounds good to me." Piper chuckled. She stopped laughing when she saw Diane eyeing her curiously. Perhaps Alex hadn't told her as much as she assumed. The blonde was suddenly worried, maybe Diane thought she was just a spoiled brat with no cares in the world. Their server came over to their table, setting each of their meals on the table.

"Can I get you anything else?" He asked. All three woman shook their heads, thanking the man.

"So, how are things with your mother?" The older Vause spoke up, surprising Piper. The blonde choked slightly on the bite she had just taken, coughing and taking a sip from her water. She smiled fondly at her girlfriend when her hand came up to rub circles on her back.

"Sorry." Piper spoke up after she managed to stop coughing. "Things are ok. Some day are better than others...but I think we're making progress."

"I didn't mean to catch you off guard, kid. Alex has told me a little bit about your family so I was just curious."

"Oh, It's totally fine. It's just- I don't want you to worry about Alex. She's not going to be some big secret to me, you know? I _want_ to tell them. I just- I know it's going to take some time for them to get it."

"I know, hun. It's ok." Piper sighed in relief. Diane's hand rested on top of one of hers, her thumb stroking the side in a comforting manner. The three women enjoyed their meals and carried on a light-hearted conversation. The blonde was captivated by everything the older woman told her about her girlfriend. She loved seeing Alex flustered at her mother's mention of embarrassing childhood stories. However, being with both Vause women was also a reminder of just how different her relationship with her own mother was. By the end of their meal, the blonde felt ready to have a bit of alone time.

"So how long are you staying, Diane?" She questioned on the drive back to Alex's place.

"Oh, just a few days. Can't really get off work any more than that."

"Ah, I see. I think I'll just leave the two of you alone then." Piper commented, keeping her eyes heavily fixated on the road. She could feel her girlfriends eyes on her.

"You don't have to do that, Pipes. We're more than happy to have you here." Alex insisted.

"I know I don't have to. You two should spend some time alone, though. I'm sure you've missed each other."

"I certainly have. Alex and I have barely been apart for more than a day her whole life!" Diane chuckled.

"See." The blonde glanced over at her girlfriend in the passenger seat, giving her best attempt at a sincere smile. They were pulling into Alex's driveway in no time and Piper put the car in park.

"Here, ma." Alex handed her mother the house key. "You go ahead, I'll be in in a second." Diane did as she was told, sensing the shift in the girls' energy.

"What's wrong, Pipes?"

"What? Nothing. I just know you and your mom need some time together." She shrugged.

"Don't lie to me. You've been acting distant ever since we were at the restaurant."

"I'm not acting distant, Alex!" The blonde became defensive, raising her voice. "_Your mom_ wants to spend time with you!" She stared down at her hands on the steering wheel.

"Is that what this is about?"

"What?" Piper played dumb, hoping to not have to get into it.

"Your mom." Alex placed her left hand on her girlfriend's shoulder. Piper's right hand abandoned the steering wheel and lifted the hand from her shoulder, interlacing their fingers. She finally looked her in the eye.

"Yes. I'm sorry. I just don't want to ruin your time with your mom because I can't get out of my head about my own. It's just a little hard to see how close you are."

"I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for." The blonde shrugged.

"I'm still sorry."

"It's ok." Piper lifted their connected hands, kissing the back of Alex's. "Go spend some time with your mom._ I'll_ be here all summer."

"Alright. I'll text you later, though."

"Sounds good." The two girls leaned in for a quick kiss. Alex decided to not push Piper on the mom subject for now. Instead, she made her way into her rental house to be greeted by her mom waiting by the door.

* * *

"Everything alright?" Diane inquired.

"Yeah, definitely. Piper just wanted to give us some time I guess."

"That's really nice of her."

"Yeah." Alex replied, distantly.

"What's wrong, babe?"

"Nothing, I just think she's a little jealous."

"Of..?" Diane had a pretty good idea of what was coming, but she wanted to hear it from her daughter.

"You!" Alex exclaimed. "Me and you. We just- I know I only told you a little bit, but Piper really wants to have a better relationship with her mom. I just think seeing how close we really are was kind of a harsh reminder."

"I'm sorry, Alex. I was trying to be careful of what I said, but I also don't know the whole story."

"I just hate that she and her mother can't just have a good relationship. She deserves that."

"I'm sure they _can_, Al. It might just take some time."

"I guess so." Alex shrugged. Her mother pulled her into a hug and she let out a sigh. She'd give anything to allow Piper to experience this sense of comfort that can only come from a mother's loving embrace.

* * *

For Piper, the drive home was full of an uncomfortable silence. Her relationship with her mother had already been in the forefront of her mind, and Diane showing up had only escalated that. As she pulled into the driveway she became a bit nervous. She wasn't sure if she was ready to confront her mother, but she also knew that it had to happen eventually. She took a deep breath before getting out of her car and going through the front door of their home.

"Mom?" She called out.

"I'm in the den, darling." She heard her mother call out.

"Hey." she walked through the archway to find her mom cleaning and redecorating the shelves. "I was kind of hoping we could talk."

"Well….my book club is coming over soon." Piper tried to fight her instinct to roll her eyes, knowing very well that said 'book club' was really just snooty moms gossiping and drinking. "But I suppose we can chat for a while. Just let me get everything back on the shelves." Piper nodded and made her way over to help her mother. Once they had finished she asked her to join her on the couch. "So what is the matter, Piper?"

"Nothing, mom. I just- I wanted to talk to you because. Well. I wasn't with Polly last night."

"Piper Elizabeth, where were you then? You know I am trying my best to trust you but you h-"

"I was at Alex's."

"Oh. Alright..." Carol stared at her. "Why didn't you just tell me that?"

"I didn't really know if you'd be okay with that."

"Why wouldn't I? She seems like a lovely girl."

"I know. But she's- she's not like all the other kids around here. Y'know, she doesn't come from money and she doesn't care what other people think. She's-"

"It's ok, darling. I know that your father and I have always been really hard on you, but we just want you to be happy."

"Really?" Piper blurted out.

"Yes really. What kind of monster do you think I am?! I have done nothing but try to put you on the right path since the day you were born. Same for your brothers!"

"I know. It's just- sometimes I feel like I can never do anything right. I just want to make you guys proud. Today, Alex's mother came to visit her. They're so close. I swear I have never seen you look at me with half the admiration that she has in her eyes when she sees Alex." The young blonde curse herself as she felt moisture collecting in her eyes.

"I'm sorry." Carol whispered.

"It's not your fault, mom." Piper shrugged.

"It actually is. You know, my mom was always the same way with me."

"Grandma Celeste?" Piper's eyebrows furrowed. "She's always been there for me, Daniel, and Cal."

"I know." Her mother groaned rubbing her hand over her forehead. "It's infuriating." She let out a harsh laugh. "When I was younger, she never approved of anything I did. Hell, she _still _doesn't."

"I didn't know that."

"How could you?" Carol questioned and Piper shrugged. "I guess I just thought if I had these perfect kids, maybe my mom would finally be proud. She's not, though. She just sees how great you guys are and makes snide remarks to me about the ways that I've failed you."

"You haven't failed us mom. I just want us to have a normal, healthy relationship. Seeing Alex with her mother just made me realize even more how much I crave that." Piper Chapman had only seen her mother cry a few times throughout her entire life. She couldn't help but feel both shocked and proud when this moment became one of them. Maybe this was a breakthrough. Maybe things could change after all.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hey guys! It's been a minute so thanks for the patience. I've had quite a lot going on with my family (all good, so no worries) and haven't had a ton of spare time. Here is another update and I'm hoping to keep up the writing momentum so I can finish this story! -K**

* * *

Three days went by and Piper and Alex didn't see each other. They texted, of course, but the blonde kept her distance. She genuinely wanted her girlfriend to have some time with her mom. She even made some progress with her own mother, going shopping with her and actually talking about their problems instead of ignoring them. For a member of the Chapman family, that was a win. She also made sure to hang out with Polly, sharing the details of her an Alex's first time. Polly was enthralled, hanging on Piper's every word as she rambled on. She was happy for her friend.

Alex enjoyed the time with her mother, but by the end of three days she was missing her girlfriend desperately. She missed everything about her. Her beautiful smile, her adorable obsession with poetry, and of course her perfect body. Now that they had had sex, it was even harder to keep the blonde's lithe frame out of her mind. It was early evening when Diane got into her car to head back to New York City. As soon as she was out of the driveway, Alex was headed to the Chapman residence. She went straight up to Piper's door and knocked a few times. When there was no response she decided to to go back down the stairs and try the front door. She rang the doorbell and someone came to answer. It was Cal.

"Oh, hey Alex. What's up?"

"Hey, Cal. Not much. Is Piper here?"

"Yeah, I think she's just chilling in her room. Come on in." He smiled at her knowingly.

"Thanks, dude." She walked past him and right over to the stairs.

"Have fun." He commented. Alex turned to stick her tongue out at the youngest Chapman.

* * *

When the brunette walked into Piper's bedroom, however, she was nowhere to be found. She was about to walk back downstairs when she heard water running in the girls bathroom. She walked over to the doorway to find her drawing a bath with a short robe on. She knocked on the door a couple of times, causing the blonde to jump.

"Shit! Alex?" She turned around. "You scared me."

"Sorry, babe. Cal let me in."

"Your mom go back to New York?"

"Yup. She just left."

"You're just in time. I'm about to take a bath."

"I'm failing to see the significance here." Alex raised an eyebrow.

"Well anytime I'm in a body of water, I like to have a hot lifeguard around." Piper smirked.

"I think you could manage a bath without me."

"I don't know Al." She untied her robe, exposing her naked form. Alex quickly shut the bathroom door and locked it, slowly walking toward her girlfriend. Piper stepped into the tub, sliding down to sit in the warm water. "You're the lifeguard. You should know it's possible to drown in a lot less water than this." She winked, sliding down until her head was under the water. Alex sat on the edge of the tub and reached in to grab under her neck, lifting her top half out of the water. She leaned in to give her a kiss on her wet lips.

"Join me." Piper smiled after they puller apart. "The water's fine."

"I don't know, Pipes."

"Come on. Just for a little while. Pleeeaseee?" She pouted. Alex couldn't resist the adorable plea. She began stripping of her t-shirt and jeans. She then slid her underwear and bra off and threw her long hair into a bun.

"Fine. But no funny business, Chapman.. I know how hard it is for you to resist me." She teased. The blonde slid forward in the bath, making room for Alex to get in behind her.

"Ugh, riiight." Piper scooted back, leaning against Alex's front. She reveled in the feelings of her hard nipples against her back. "I'm not going to do anything. Cal is home."

"Just Cal?"

"Yeah my parents are out with Daniel. They're having a dinner with Daniel's girlfriend and her parents."

"I see." She placed a kiss on the side of Piper's neck and wrapper her arms around her.

"I've missed you." Piper whispered, leaning her head against the other girl's shoulder.

"I've missed you too, Pipes."

* * *

As the weeks went by, Alex and Piper only became closer. They spent a lot of their time together and found themselves settling into a nice routine. Before they knew it, the month of June was upon them and they had nearly been together for a an entire month. On the first weekend of the month, Piper even convinced Alex to go on a double date with Polly and Pete. They decided to go to a drive in that was about 30 minutes away. The blonde offered up her car and they drove out to the drive-in for a nighttime showing.

"I'm going to go get something from the concessions. Anything you want me to get you?" Pete asked his girlfriend.

"I'll have a diet coke and some popcorn, please." She smiled.

"I think I'm gonna go too." Piper spoke up "Want anything, babe?"

"Um, I guess just a soda. Maybe a sprite?"

"Ok, Al. We'll be back in a second." The blonde slid out of the front seat and waited for Pete to get out of the back before heading to the concessions stand with him.

"Soooo." Polly spoke up from the back seat. "What are you doing for Piper's Birthday?"

"What?" Alex asked, confusedly.

"Her Birthday. It's on the seventh."

"Fuck."

"She didn't tell you…?" Polly looked at her, sympathetically. "Yeah, I should've seen that coming."

"Why wouldn't she tell me?"

"She's never really liked her birthday. I don't really know why, something to do with her family I guess." Polly shrugged. "I guess I just thought it'd be different with you."

"Fuck. What am I going to get her!? That's like 5 days away!"

"Ok, ok. Don't panic. I'll help you figure something out." Polly shrugged.

"Alright, yeah. Thanks." Alex took a deep breath. She was already brainstorming ideas. "Hmmmm...do you know if Piper has a favorite dessert?"

"Chocolate souffle. It's her weakness."

"Of course it is. She just has to be complicated, that one."

"Welcome to my world." Polly teased with a laugh and Alex couldn't help but join her. Just then the two's significant others returned.

"What are you two laughing about?"

"Oh, nothing schnookums."

"Here you go, Pol." Pete handed her her requested food and drink.

"Did you just call me schnookums?" The blonde inquired, handing her girlfriend her soda.

"I did. But it was in between quotes."

"I didn't hear any quotes, love muffin."

"Now you're just being smutty." Alex winked and Piper leaned in to kiss the smirk off her face.

"Alright you two. Cool it." Polly interrupted them. "The movie is about to start and your big heads are blocking my view." Piper raised her middle finger at her friend before parting from Alex and situating herself back in her seat. She rested her arm in between the two seats, smiling when Alex took her hand into her own.

* * *

The following morning Alex was standing in her kitchen about to have breakfast when her doorbell rang. Her brows furrowed but she made her way over to the door. She hadn't made any plans with Piper for today. When she opened the door she was surprised to find her girlfriend's best friend.

"Oh. Hey Polly. What's up?"

"You have any plans today?"

"Are you asking me out? Because if you are, I have to tell you I'm spoken for." Alex teased.

"Sometimes I question what Piper sees in you." Polly couldn't keep a straight face. Alex's charm was not lost on her.

"You and me both." Alex winked. "And no, I don't have any plans for today. What's up?"

"What do you mean what's up? We're going shopping for Piper's Birthday gift."

"Oh, alright. Come on in. I was actually about to have breakfast. You already eaten this morning?"

"Nope."

"Alright, I think I've got enough for the both of us." Alex led Polly into the kitchen. The shorter brunette was surprised by the amazing smell throughout the house.

"What is that?"

"Sweet potato hash and avocado toast with poached eggs."

"I take back what I said earlier." Polly said as she eagerly grabbed the plate Alex extended to her. "Piper knew what she was doing picking you. She always was the smart one." Alex finished her breakfast with her unexpected company and quickly got dressed. She was a bit nervous about spending time with Polly without Piper by her side, but was willing to do anything to get her the right gift.

"Alright, you ready?" Polly asked.

"Yup. Where to first?"

"Well I figured we'd go to her bookstore, see if Mr. Samuels can help us find anything that she doesn't already own."

"Sounds good." Alex chuckled. "Have you checked in with her, though?"

"Yup, we're all good. She's spending the day with Carol. They're actually going to a spa or something."

"Well that's good right? That she's getting some time with her mom?"

"Are we talking about the same person?" Polly eyed her curiously.

"Yes. I just know Piper's been working really hard to open up to her mom. She wants them to be closer."

"I didn't know that." Polly shrugged, seeming a bit hurt. "I guess Pipe and I don't talk as much as we used to."

"I'm sorry. Y'know if you ever want time with her just let me know and I'll tell her I'm busy or something. I mean I'm pretty stingy with my Piper time, but I'm willing to give a little." She smiled warmly.

"Deal." Polly smirked. "Thank you. Now let's get shopping!" When the girls arrived at Bound to Happen they made their way directly toward the checkout desk, hoping to get some advice from the owner.

"Hey Mr. Samuels." Polly spoke up.

"Oh, hey there Polly." His face lit up. "And...Alex was it?"

"Yeah. Good memory." Alex commented.

"I try. I'm slipping a bit in my old age."

"I have a hard time believing that." Polly replied.

"Well thank you. What can I help you ladies with?"

"Alex here is looking for a gift for Piper's birthday. We figured you know her reading habits better than us. You got anything she hasn't read?" The old man chuckled.

"Actually, someone just brought in a huge box of unwanted books yesterday. I haven't even gotten a change to start getting them on shelves. But I think I saw a few poetry books in there if you want take a look….?"

"That'd be amazing." Alex commented. The man lead both girls to a large cardboard box full of old books. The brunettes started digging through the stacks, hoping to find something good. After a few moments she found a Robert Frost poetry book.

"What about this one?" Alex eyed him curiously.

"Hmmm. I'm certain she has some Robert Frost, but I don't think she's ever purchased that one specifically. At least not from me."

"Alright. I'll look through it. See if I think she'd like it."

"Of course." He gestured as if to say 'go for it'.

"Holy shit." Alex blurted.

"What?" Polly looked up, startled.

"This has a signature in it. Is this authentic?" The brunette lifted the book to show Mr. Samuels. He lowered his small glasses onto the bridge of his nose.

"Wow. It appears to be. I had no idea that was in there."

"Well I think this is the one." Alex shuffled through, scanning over the poetry quickly. "How much do you want for it?"

"Eh, just take it. Anything for Piper."

"No way. I insist. This has to be worth quite a lot."

"Uh, fine...But you know what? I only paid fifty bucks for the whole case. The owner passed away and the son just wanted to give 'em to me for free to get them out of the way. You just had a lucky find. How about you give me fifty and we'll call it even?"

"Here." Alex handed the man sixty bucks. "Only if you're sure…?"

"I'd do anything for Piper. Just be good to her ok? She's a great kid."

"You got it." Alex smiled at the man. "Thank you so much."

"Thank you." Polly said.

"You're welcome girls. Have a nice day. And tell Piper I said Happy Birthday in case I don't see her before then."

"We will." The two women made their way out of the shop.

"Do you think that just the book is enough?" Alex inquired.

"Are you kidding, me? Piper is gonna flip. I can't believe you found her a signed copy."

"I just didn't know. Her experience growing up was much different than mine."

"Despite her upbringing, she's not very materialistic. If she could just have her books, she'd have no cares in the world. Plus, _anything_ from you would mean the world to her."

"Thank you for everything, Polly. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome, Alex. Thank you for being so good to my best friend. She's really lucky to have you."

"I'm the lucky one."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Here is Chapter 10. I'm working on writing in some of your suggestions so those should be coming up fairly soon. For now, I hope you enjoy this one. Let the birthday sexy times commence! -K**

* * *

The next few days went by, and Piper still had no idea that Alex knew it was soon to be her birthday. The brunette was a little hurt that Piper had never brought it up. However, she also knew her girlfriend well enough to know she had a good reason to do so. She tried to make sure the blonde was not suspicious and casually invited her to her place late on June 7th.

"Hey babe, what's up?" Piper spoke up as soon as Alex invited her in.

"Nothing. I just missed you." The brunette smirked, ignoring the slight heat in her face at the heartfelt confession.

"Aww…" Piper pulled the taller girl into a hug. "I've missed you too." She whispered, placing a soft kiss under her ear.

"I know you've already eaten dinner, but I have something for you."

"Oh yeah?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively with a dorky smile on her face.

"Stop. Not _that._" Alex shook her head with a laugh before grabbing the blonde's hand and tugging her to the kitchen. She made her way to the oven and pulled out the dessert she had been working on for her girlfriend.

"Alex! You did not!?"

"Oh, but I did."

"How the hell do you know how to make a soufflé?"

"I'm gifted." Alex winked.

"I can't believe you. Mmm, that smells amazing."

"Now get your ass over here and eat it while it's warm." Alex teased her. When Piper made her way around the island, the brunette grabbed her by the waist and lifted her onto it. The blonde sat on the countertop with her legs criss-crossed, eyeing her girlfriend suspiciously. She brought the soufflé over with two spoons and joined her on the counter. They both dug in, clinking their spoons together before enjoying the first bite.

"Oh my god, this is incredible."

"Good, I'm glad. I remembered Polly saying it was your favorite one time."

"It is." Piper smirked, knocking Alex's spoon out of the way with her own.

"Fine." The brunette lifted both of her hands up. She let out a low chuckle. For a moment she was lost in thought at just how adorable Piper was right now. Both women were silent; Alex focused on the Piper, and the blonde focused on the food.

"Polly told you, didn't she?"

"Told me what?" Alex played dumb, taking another spoonful of the dessert into her mouth. Piper simply gave her a look. "Ok. She told me... Happy birthday, babe." Alex smiled.

"I knew it! Gosh she's such a brat."

"A brat who happens to be the reason you're eating a _exquisitely _baked soufflé made by your _incredible _girlfriend." Alex teased.

"Touché...Thank you, Al."

"You're welcome babe…"They both sat still, lost in each other's eyes. "I have something for you." Piper glared. "It's a _non_-birthday gift."

"Mhmmm."

"Stay right there. I'll be right back." Alex hopped of the counter and walked around to go into her bedroom. She picked up the book before walking back into the kitchen. Piper was facing away from her so she walked up behind her and put her right hand up over her eyes. "Put your hands out." She whispered. Piper did as she was told and felt an object being placed in her palms.

"Gee. I wonder what it could be." She questioned sarcastically, obviously identifying the object as a book.

"Smart ass." Alex laughed. "Keep your eyes shut, ok?" The blonde nodded. Alex made her way back around the counter and stood to the side of her . "Ok. Open."

"It's perfect, Alex. Thank you." Piper smiled. She immediately started flipping through the pages, eager to see the specific poems it contained.

"Check the inside cover." The brunette smirked

"Oh my god, Alex! You didn't!" She squealed, extending her neck to kiss her girlfriend. "How the hell did you find this?"

"Let's just say I had a little bit of help...and a _lot_ of luck."

"Al. I can't accept this. This has to be worth a lot. I don't-"

"Relax babe. Mr. Samuels didn't even know it was signed until I pointed it out and he knew it was for you, so he gave me a good deal."

"This is so amazing. I can't wait to add this to my collection back home! Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, baby. I'm glad you like it."

"I _love_ it." She set the book down and brought Alex's face back into her, kissing her deeply. The brunette wrapped her arms around the blonde, turning her on the counter until they were face to face and pulled her to the edge. Piper wrapped her arms and legs around her. She let out a surprised yelp when Alex moved her hands around to her ass and lifted her off the counter, carrying her to her bedroom.

They collapsed on the bed, never leaving each other's lips. Alex was straddling Piper and immediately began stripping the blonde. She started by peeling off her tight tank top. Piper quickly grabbed at the bottom of her t-shirt and lifted it off of her frame, throwing it to the side. She smirked at the sight of Alex's breasts in a thin lace bralette with a small clasp over her sternum. She leaned in to suck at the brunette's chest through the thin material as her hands made quick work of undoing the clasp. Once she had rid her of the bralette, she made her way back up to her lips, allowing her hands to fully caress her chest. Before Piper had even realized what was happening Alex had removed her bra in one quick motion.

"Should I be worried by how good you are at that?" Piper smirked. Alex licked at her bottom lip before taking it between her teeth, laughing at the girl's comment.

"Shhh." The brunette whispered before leaning in to place wet kisses down the column of her neck. "I want to make you feel good, baby. Are you ready for me?" She questioned, her right hand slowly trailing down her torso.

"Yes...I'm so wet for you." The blonde rolled her hips upward, feeling a bit impatient.

"I'll have to see for myself." Alex winked, sliding her hand under her shorts and underwear. She was practically dripping with arousal.

"What's the verdict?" Piper panted out, trying to keep up their banter in her increasingly horny state. Alex chuckled lightly.

"Ok, babe. How do you want me?" She whispered in her ear and she slid her shorts and panties down her long legs together. The blonde helped by kicking them off over the end of the bed. Alex noticed the blonde's face flush. Sensing she was feeling a bit shy, she decided to help her out; "Do you want my mouth on you? My fingers inside of you?"

"Yesss." Piper shuddered. The brunette's hand had made it's way back to her mound and was slowly sliding up and down her slit.

"Both?" Alex quirked her eyebrows. "Well you are the birthday girl after all." The brunette started lowering herself to level her face with her center. However, she was stopped by Piper's hands on the back of her head.

"Wait." She whispered. She tugged Alex back up to kiss her passionately one more time. "Ok." She smiled shyly.

"You ready now?"

"Mhmm." She nodded, her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Good. Me too." Alex kissed her way down her body, her fingers still sliding through her wetness. She slowly started sliding the tip of one finger inside. As she did so, she softly swirled her tongue around her clit. She smirked when she felt a hand tangling itself in her hair. The blonde let out a quiet moan. Alex was trying to take her time, but Piper lifted her hips up, taking her finger all the way inside her.

"Please, babe. I want more of you." She moaned out, her hand tightening slightly in her hair. Alex complied, slowly adding another finger and increasing the movements of her tongue slightly. "Ohh." She could feel the Piper's stomach rising and falling faster under her left hand.

"All good?" She lifted her head up too look the blonde in the eye, teasing her a bit. She rested her chin on the girl's shaven mound, pulling her fingers out slowly.

"Unh. Keep going, babe." Piper's hand put pressure on the back of her head, trying to push her lower again. Alex chuckled, and Piper moaned out at the feeling of of her neck vibrating against her pussy. She threw her head back. Alex was a bit confused, not realizing her voice box was resting right above the girl's clit.

"I'm not even touching you." Alex raised an eyebrow. The blonde moaned again, tugging Alex tighter against her.

"Your throat." She whispered. "Say something else." The brunette finally realized what was going on and decided to go with it.

"Are you going to come for me? You like the feeling of my throat vibrating against your pussy?"

"Yesss.." Piper hissed out. "..but I want you inside me again." Alex lifted her head up to make space to slide her fingers back in. She decided to give Piper a similar sensation to the one she had been enjoying, sucking her clit between her lips and moaning against her. She repeated this a few times, curling her fingers on the occasional thrust. She could tell the blonde was getting close by the way her walls tightened around her.

"Alex! Fuck…..uhh- I'm coming!" Her hips rocked in quick movements against the girls mouth and fingers. Alex helped her ride out the rest of her orgasm before slowly making her way back up to capture her lips in her own. "Fuck." Piper panted out. "Best birthday ever."

"Good. I'm glad. I can't believe you could feel my throat vibrating against you."

"I know. Who would have thought your voice could _feel_ as good as it sounds?" Piper chuckled.

"Wow. A sexy girlfriend with a voice that is both auditorily and tactilely pleasing. What more could you want?"

"I can think of just one more thing."

"What, babe?" Alex eyed her curiously. Piper flipped them over, taking the brunette by surprise. She ground her hips roughly against Alex's before making her way down her body.

* * *

The next morning, the blonde woke up still wrapped up in her girlfriends arms. She smiled widely, reveling in the feeling of her favorite embrace she had ever been in. The brunette was still asleep, looking gorgeous and peaceful in the sunlight that was streaming in through the windows. Piper smiled, crawling out of bed quietly and making her way to the kitchen. She wasn't the best chef but she decided she could whip something up for them to eat this morning. She spotted a box of pancake mix and decided to make those and scramble some eggs.

By the time the brunette woke up and stumbled into the kitchen, she was nearly done with their meal. She turned around and smiled at how cute Alex looked. She had on an old band t-shirt and underwear, her long dark hair still disheveled. She rubbed at her eyes before placing her glasses back over the bridge of her nose. After that, she stretched her arms straight up in the air, providing a delicious view of her incredible long legs.

"Good morning, sunshine." Piper greeted her with a giggle.

"Good morning, babe." Alex walked up behind her at the stove, placing her hands on her hips. "You didn't have to make breakfast. You should have woken me up."

"I know it's not nearly as good as you could do, but I did my best." The blonde shrugged.

"It smells amazing." Alex reassured her and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"Well you're just in time." She flipped the last pancake onto a plate. She handed a fixed plate to the brunette.

"Mmmm. Thank you."

"You're welcome, babe." They made their way to Alex's small table to enjoy their meal together.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Anything." Piper looked up at her curiously, a bit taken aback by the sudden seriousness of her tone.

"Why didn't you tell me about your birthday?" The brunette stared down at her plate. Sensing her insecurity, Piper reached out to grab her left hand.

"I just don't like my birthday." She shrugged. "It's kind of complicated. I always liked it as a kid….all the positive attention and presents. As I got older, though, it just became a harsh reminder of all of the things that I was failing at. My mom always reminded me that I was getting older and needed to get my shit together. Plus, I think it's kind of absurd to celebrate the day I was born _every year_. Like I can be just as self-absorbed as the next person, but really?...I guess I just need you to know that it's not about you."

"Yeah. I know." Alex smiled, sadly. "Polly told me that you were weird about your birthday. But even she was a bit taken aback that you hadn't told me…"

"Because she knows how I feel about you." Piper smiled at her, taking another bite of her food. "I still would never have told you, but I'm glad that she did. Yesterday might have been the best birthday I've ever had and it's all thanks to you."

"Well I'm glad, kid. You deserve it."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Not sure if anyone is still invested in this story but I'm still planning to get through it. I'm not super happy with how I wrote this suggestion, but I couldn't bring myself to make any major drama between Piper and Alex. Let me know what you think and I hope you enjoy it for what it is.**

* * *

A few days later Piper decided to stop by the pool and take Alex some lunch. As good as the club's food was, she knew her girlfriend was growing tired of eating there so frequently. She arrived to see Alex sitting in her usual place on the stand, watching over the water. As she closed in on her, she glanced down at her for a moment.

"Hey. What are you doing here?" Alex smiled at her.

"I brought you your favorite from the sandwich shop. I know you have lunch in a little while so I wanted to stop by really quickly before I head to Polly's." She extended her arm up to hand her the bag of food.

"Oh, thank you babe! That's so nice of you." She looked ahead.

"No problem. Couldn't resist seeing you for a minute." Piper heard a large splash, presumably from a kid jumping into the pool.

"You're so cute-" Alex trailed off.

All of the sudden, she was down from the stand and jumping into the deep end. She scooped up a young boy and cradled him in her arms. Even in her slightly panicked state, the blonde couldn't help but notice the way Alex's muscles rippled as she lifted the young child up and out of the pool. Water droplets cascaded down her gorgeous body as she exited the body of water. The brunette had told her about a few of her minor saves this summer, but she had yet to see one in action before today. Piper watched adoringly as Alex checked in with the boy: "You alright, buddy?". She had stayed so calm and collected, making sure the child wouldn't panic. Suddenly a curvy, tan blonde in a string bikini was running up to Alex and the young boy.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry. I took my eyes off of him for one second and he must've jumped straight into the deep end! He hasn't quite learned to swim yet."

"It's all good. That's what I'm here for." Alex smiled at the girl, reassuring her.

"Jeremy, I can't believe you! Mom and dad told me to watch you closely. What if something had happened?!" She addressed the young boy. Piper couldn't help but notice that the presumed older sister was attractive. Her chest was large and bounced slightly as she admonished the boy. Clearly she hadn't been watching him _that_ closely.

"Hey, hey. We're all good here, right?" Alex tried to cool the girl down. "I caught him before he even went completely under. It's all cool." Piper smiled at her phrasing before she noticed that the brunettes gaze had fallen to the other girls chest. Her smile fell immediately.

"Right of course. Thank you so much. I'd love to pay you back sometime. Maybe we could get some dinner together…?" She bit her lower lip, taking in the brunette's form.

"Uh, actually I'm taken." Alex replied apologetically. "But, I appreciate the offer. Just promise me you'll keep a closer eye on the kid though, eh? And you..." She crouched down to be eye level with the boy. Piper noticed the older sister staring at Alex's chest from this angle and began to get a bit frustrated. She was very aware of the implications of her girlfriend's work uniform, but seeing her being blatantly ogled and flirted with made her feel a bit uneasy. This wasn't some lanky teenage boy, it was a well-developed young woman. Someone who Alex was much more likely to be attracted to. "..stay out of the deep end until you get a little stronger at swimming. Ok, bud?" He nodded, still a bit shaken up. Piper watched her girlfriend stand up and make her way back toward the stand. She quickly averted her gaze, not wanting Alex to read the insecurity in her facial expression. She pulled her shades down before looking back up at her.

"Nice save." She muttered. "I think I'm going to head out, ok? Enjoy your lunch."

"Oh, alright. Thank you for bringing it. I'll see you later tonight...?"

"Yeah sure." Piper muttered before turning and headed off toward her home. She had never cared about someone quite as deeply as Alex. Because of this, she wasn't really sure how to process her current emotions.

* * *

The blonde made her way to her best friend's house, feeling a bit dazed. Thus far, things between her and Alex had been pretty easy going. They had never really fought over anything. She didn't want to confront the brunette, but she couldn't help the feelings of jealousy and insecurity that were rising within her.

"Hey Pipe! It's good to see you." Polly had on a huge smile as she opened the door.

"Hey. Yeah, you too. I brought lunch." She lifted the paper bag in her hands, displaying the sandwich shops logo.

"Ugh, I love you. I'm _starving_." Her friend dragged her into her home and they made their way out to the backyard to enjoy their meal under the warm sun. Piper remained relatively silent as Polly caught her up on everything going on in her life as of late. After a few minutes of rambling she paused, causing Piper to look up. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah yeah. I'm good….sorry. Just a bit lost in thought I guess. Keep going." She smiled unconvincingly.

"Seriously what's wrong?"

"Ugh, nothing. It's stupid. This girl at the pool was totally flirting with Alex today after she saved her little brother. She was this skinny little blonde with huge tits. She totally checked Alex out and I saw Alex staring at her chest."

"Really? I'm sorry, Piper. But you know how much Alex likes you. There's no way she was into that chick."

"Yeah, I know. Ugh. I just hate that I'm so insecure about it. I mean I watched Alex turn her down. But I _also_ saw her looking at her body. And what if I hadn't been there?! Would she have flirted back? Maybe Alex wants to be with someone else...someone better-"

"There is no one better for her than you!" Polly cut her off. "You're incredible and Alex knows that. And sure, maybe she looked at the girls boobs for a second….are you telling me you never notice that other people are attractive just because you're with Alex?"

"No….I guess not. I think it just bothered me because. Well because Alex has this like perfect, sexy, curvy body and so did the other girl today. And then there's me…"

"Your body is great. I'd _kill _to look like you with those long runner's legs and toned stomach. Plus I see the way Alex checks out your boobs and your ass." She chuckled.

"Seriously?" Piper questioned.

"Yes. She practically drools over your body, you're just so used to it that you don't even notice it. You have nothing to worry about."

"Ok. Thanks Pol." She let out a big sigh. "I think we're going to hang out later so maybe I'll talk to her about it then.

"You should. I'm sure she didn't mean to make you feel insecure. Just let her know how you feel and I'm sure she'll say all the right things."

"Yeah. She's pretty good at that." She smiled.

* * *

Later that night Piper headed over to her girlfriends house and they ordered pizza. The two of them were relaxing on the couch watching a movie when the blonde decided to speak up. Alex had sensed the slight change in Piper's energy but she wasn't sure if it was something she wanted to get into. She decided to let the blonde take the lead, trusting that she'd bring it up if it had to do with her.

"Can I ask you something?" Piper spoke up quietly.

"Of course." The brunette's hand stroked her thigh.

"Do you-" She paused feeling a bit awkward. "Do you ever wish that I had bigger boobs?"

"_What_?" She chuckled. "Where is this coming from?"

"I saw you today at the pool. You totally looked at that girl's cleavage."

"What girl?" She questioned. Piper knew that Alex was genuinely inquiring, but this only made her think about all of the other opportunities she probably had to look at attractive girls every day. She shuddered a but at the thought.

"The older sister of the little boy you saved." Piper rolled her eyes, placing her hands in front of her as if to demonstrate the magnitude of her breasts.

"Oh." She recalled with a nod. "I mean, I may have glanced." She shrugged. "You have to admit it was pretty hard to not notice her chest." Piper nodded lightly in agreement. "Doesn't mean I was attracted to her."

"I guess. It just kind of made me feel insecure. I never really thought about it, but your body is so gorgeous and curvy. And my body is so...not."

"That's not true, babe. We have different body types, sure, but it doesn't mean that one is better than the other. I _love _your body just as it is. I'm sorry if I've ever made you feel different." She stared into her eyes, attempting to convey just how sincere she was.

"You called me cute." Piper looked down at her lap.

"What?"

"Today at the pool you said 'You're so _cute _'." She glanced back up and gestured at her body with her hands.

"Because you are cute!" She exclaimed. "You're _also_ unbelievably gorgeous and fucking sexy as hell but I didn't think it'd be super appropriate to get into that in a public setting." She teased with a wink.

"Ok, ok. I get it." Piper giggled. "I'm sorry I think I just got a little bit jealous and didn't really know how to handle it. I've never cared about someone the way that I care about you."

"Neither have I." The brunette. leaned in to place a soft kiss on her lips. Polly had been right, Alex always knew the right thing to say.

* * *

**A/N: I wanted to give you guys the option if you'd like the next chapter to be of Alex _appreciating_ Piper's body a little bit more or if you'd like me to just keep the story moving. I want this story to be balanced in terms of narrative and sexiness so I couldn't quite decide. I'll leave it up to you guys! To smut, or not to smut: that is the question. (I'm sorry lol) -K**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Alright. A fair amount of you requested that I write a smutty continuation** **of the last chapter. Ask and you shall receive! If this is not of interest to you, feel free to skip over it. There's not really any significant plot to this, so I assure you won't miss anything important. Point taken about the story starting to drag. I think I've just been trying to draw the summer out, because I'm planning to end the story with a bit of a time jump. Please let me know of any major plot points you'd like me to squeeze into the summer and/or touch on after the girls return to school for their senior year. I'll do my best. **

* * *

"Do you need me to show you just how much I appreciate your body?" Alex smirked.

"Do I _need _that? No...not after everything that you just said. Do I want that? Fuck yes." Piper replied with a giggle.

"Mmmm. I'm more than happy to satisfy that desire, baby." She pushed gently against Piper until she was sitting back against the arm of the couch and straddled her lap. She pulled the blonde's top over her head and licked her lips when she discovered she had no bra on.

"One perk of small boobs: bras are not necessary." Piper joked, feeling only slightly self-conscious still.

"Another perk of small boobs..." Alex raised her eyebrows and brought her hands to the younger girls chest. She began gently massaging her chest and tracing around her nipples. "..they're extra sensitive." She smirked, lightly pulling at hardened peaks.

"Fuck." Piper moaned out. She had never really considered how sensitive her chest was. She had just assumed that every woman felt the same way.

"See babe." The brunette smiled, pleased with the reaction she was receiving.

"Yesss." She hissed out. When her girlfriend leaned down to put her mouth on her breasts she let out a loud moan. Her hands came down to hold onto the back of Alex's head, keeping her in place over her left nipple. The brunette continued working at her chest for quite some time, hoping to get the message across of just how much she loved her perky little tits. "Oh my god." She moaned out, surprised by how much pleasure she was deriving from Alex's soft touches on her chest.

"That feel good?" The brunette pulled back from her chest to tease her a bit.

"You know it does." Piper's voice came out quietly, her breathing a bit labored. She used her hands to pull her girlfriend's face back toward her chest. "Keep going, please." Alex complied. She continued her ministrations for a few more minutes and Piper was surprised to feel pleasure building up throughout her body. She arched her back up, pulling Alex's mouth tighter against one breast, and placing her hand over the hand on the other. "Fuck. Oh my god! I think I'm going to-" Her sentence was cut off by her own loud moan as she felt a sensation unlike anything she'd ever felt before.

"Did you just?" Alex was the first to speak up after helping Piper ride out her sudden and unexpected orgasm.

"I think I did..." The blonde whispered out, feeling a bit dazed. "I've never had that happen before." She blushed.

"Fuck that was sexy." Alex practically growled. The blonde was still out of breath, but reached up to remove Alex's shirt and bra. She was desperate to feel the girl's full chest against her own. She moaned out as her sensitive nipples made contact with Alex's. "You ready for more _appreciation_?" Alex questioned, her hands falling to the waistband of the blonde's shorts.

"Definitely." Piper whispered. All of the attention that her girl had payed to her chest had her more than ready. She was certain she had never been wetter than she felt in this moment. Her girlfriend slid her shorts and underwear down her long tan legs and made her way back up her body.

"How do you want me babe?" She placed her lips on the side of the blonde's neck.

"I want your fingers in me. Your tits against mine." Piper lowered her hands to cup her breasts. As Alex slowly slid two fingers inside of her, she caressed her way down her body, until her hands rested on the brunette's ass. She had forgotten that the girl still had shorts on. She decided to slide her hands into her back pockets for now, promising herself that she'd take care of her in a moment. Before she knew it she was already on the edge. Alex was pumping her fingers in and out of her at the perfect pace. Her palm was pushing firmly against her clit with each thrust.

"I can feel you tightening around me." Alex whispered into her ear. "Are you going to come for me again?"

"Yessss, ohhh…" Piper's breathing became shallower as she allowed herself to fall over the edge. "Fuck. Alex!" She screamed out as she reached her peak.

"Mmm. I love hearing you scream my name like that." Alex moaned once the blonde's breathing started to calm down. She brought her hand up between them and licked Piper's cum off of her fingers.

"Oh my god. You're so incredible."

"So are you, kid."

"Really?" Piper whispered, staring into Alex's eyes.

"Of course. You're brilliant, caring, ridiculously sexy…"

"Good in bed?" The blonde questioned apprehensively.

"Hmmm." Alex pondered, placing her hand on her chin. "Let me think about that one." She tried to fight back a smile.

"Fuck you." Piper chuckled, lightly smacking Alex's arm.

"I mean, I think you're _pretty _good…" She winked.

"You need a refresher?" The blonde inquired, more than ready to return the favor for Alex.

"Couldn't hurt…" Piper immediately pushed Alex back a bit before standing up. She grabbed her girlfriend's legs and swung them around so she was sitting on the couch normally. When she dropped to her knees, she saw Alex swallowing harshly, her eyes growing darker. She pulled her pants and underwear off, motioning for her to slide to the edge of the couch. Settling between her legs, she spread them apart.

"Your wish is my command." The blonde was beyond pleased when she saw just how wet and ready Alex was for her. She immediately placed her mouth against her core, starting with soft movements of her tongue. If Alex was going to tease her, she was going to do it right back.

"Ugh yes. That's so good, Pipes." Her right hand settled on the left side of the blonde's head, grasping gently at her hair. The blonde smiled against her core at the compliment she had just moaned out. She kept her movements going, increasing their intensity only slightly.

As Alex's movements became more desperate, Piper moved up to suck her clit in between her lips. She slid her tongue all the way down and up her slit before repeating the action. Her girlfriend's hips began flexing off of the couch and she knew she was close. When her grip in her blonde locks tightened and pulled upward, she took the hint and moved back up to her clit to suck it harshly between her lips. She moaned against her and it sent her right over the edge.

"Oh my- Fuck! Yes. Ohhh…" The movement of her hips slowed down after a moment and Piper stood up, pushed the girl back on the couch and straddled her. She immediately leaned in to kiss her heatedly.

"So what do you think?" She questioned, pulling back form the girl.

"What?" Alex inquired, still feeling a bit dazed.

"Did I meet your standards? I mean I think I have a pretty good idea, but-"

"That was unbelievable. Fuck, I should have been sleeping with perfectionists all along." Piper chuckled. "You're so attentive it's astounding." She winked.

"Ugh. Now you sound like a teacher evaluating my performance or something." The blonde grimaced.

"Point taken." Alex grabbed her by the jaw and pulled her in for another deep kiss.

* * *

**Sorry this chapter is a bit short. I've been feeling a bit down and uninspired, but I'm trying to push through it. -K**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: This chapter feels like a bit of a fragmented mess to me, but I've been feeling a bit lost so I suppose it's apropos. Hopefully it makes sense to you guys and you can enjoy it. Please let me know any feelings you're having about it, as it may help me get back into the writing groove a bit. -K**

* * *

"Pleeeaaase, babe." Piper wined over the phone.

"Absolutely not."

"Come on, It'll be fun."

"I can almost guarantee it won't be."

"But we always have fun together." Alex could practically see her girlfriend pout.

"...Why do you have to be so cute?" The brunette groaned out her frustration.

"I promise I'll keep it short. If you run a mile with me then we can go to your place after to take a shower. And I'm a long distance runner so I'll have _plenty_ of energy left for you, baby."

"Sold. But you can't tease me about how out of shape I am."

"I wouldn't dream of it. See you bright and early tomorrow morning!" Piper cheered.

"Ugh. See you babe. Sleep well."

"You too. Good night."

"Night, kid."

The next morning Piper woke up and changed into her running gear. She opted for a tight pair of shorts and a sports bra, hoping to tease her girlfriend a bit. She heard a knock at her door and quickly threw her hair up into a ponytail and she went to greet her girlfriend. The brunette had on a pair of cropped leggings and a cutout tank top with a sports bra underneath. She had her hair in a ponytail and no makeup on.

"You look so fucking cute!" Piper squealed quietly.

"It's _so _early, Pipes. You're lucky you look so good right now. Your abs are killing me." The blonde chuckled and tightened her abdomen. Alex groaned at the sight of her muscles gaining even more definition. "Mmmm, let's go straight to my place, instead."

"Uh uh. I don't think so, babe. It's one mile! It'll be over before you know it."

"Alright, let's get this over with." Piper smiled and the two made their way down to the beach to start their run. The sun was only just beginning to rise and it was glorious. As soon as Piper made it to the shore she started jogging. Alex kept up with her pretty well, but she could hear her breathing becoming more labored as they continued.

"You alright?" The blonde checked in.

"Splendid. Thanks." She huffed out sarcastically. Piper chucked.

"We're almost there. You need to slow down?"

"Nope I'm good." She was always so stubborn.

"Fine. Good. I was actually thinking about sprinting the last few meters so that's great." Piper smirked to herself before picking up her speed. She heard Alex groaning a bit in the distance. She was surprised when the brunette never picked up the pace to catch up with her and glanced back to check she was alright. It was then that she realized her girlfriend was staring at her ass and she smirked. She checked her watch to see that she had just reached one mile and slowly came to a stop. After a few moments, Alex finally reached her. By this point she was breathing heavily and collapsed onto the sand by her feet.

"You doing alright there, baby?" The blonde tried to fight off her laughter.

"Fuck me." She panted out, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

"That's the plan." She smirked.

"I can't believe you do this all the time." She wiped the sweat off her forehead. "For a lot further distances. And actually enjoy it…."

"You really aren't going to appreciate my come-on line?" Piper frowned, having been impressed by her own joke. She sat down in the sand next to her girl.

"Your wit is not lost on me…..I just needed a second. Oh my god. There's _no way_ I can fuck you after that." She sighed, finally gaining control of her breathing again.

"That's why I'm going to be the one doing the fucking. All you have to do is relax and enjoy."

"Sounds good to me. But you might have to carry me back to my place." The brunette teased. She slowly lifted herself up to mirror Piper's position.

"Riiiight. I'll get right on that." The blonde rolled her eyes.

"Fuck, kid. Why do you look so good right now? You're barely sweating and your body looks glorious. I'm actually dying."

"Polly always gets pissed and says that I look good even after I run like three miles. She's full of shit, though." She chuckled. Noticing Alex's breathing was back to normal, she stood up and extended her hand.

"I don't know Pipes." She accepted her hand and aided her in lifting her out of the sand. "I think she's right. You look so good I'm a little frustrated." She ran her hands along her toned stomach and around her back before pulling her into a kiss. Their lips both tasted of salt from the layer sweat that had developed on their skin.

"Mmmmm. Let's go shower now." Piper groaned against her lips.

"Yes please." The two made their way back to Alex's place walking hand in hand. Every once in a while the blonde would whisper into her girlfriends ear about the dirty things she was desperate to do to her upon their arrival. As soon as they were through the front door they were all over each other and stumbling to the shower. They both reveled in the feeling of the water cascading down their bodies and remained wrapped up in each other. The blonde fulfilled everything she had promised and more. Alex began to think that maybe she should take up running.

* * *

Piper and Alex's relationship remained steady throughout the month. The brunette's job became a bit more demanding after a member of the club staff quit, but the two savored each moment they had together. Before they knew it, July was upon them, and Polly invited Piper to spend the fourth at her place with their significant others. She checked in with Alex and discovered she had the morning shift and would be free all evening. After quite a few days apart, the blonde was ecstatic at the prospect of seeing her.

Piper went over to Polly's house early and texted the address to her girlfriend. She spent about an hour with Pete and Polly before they heard the doorbell ring. She stood up immediately and practically ran to the door. The blonde made an effort to calm herself as she swung open the door. A huge smile formed on her face when she saw her gorgeous girlfriend.

"Hi babe." Alex returned a smile. Piper immediately stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her.

"I've missed you." She whispered next to her ear.

"I've missed you too, Pipes." The two pulled apart and made their way into the living room, hand in hand.

"Heya stretch!" Pete called out to Alex. "Long time no see."

"I know, I know." She chuckled at his nickname for her. "How have you guys been?"

"Pretty good." Pete responded.

"We've been great. Happy you could come tonight." Polly said with a smile. "There's some food in the kitchen. We were just about to pick something to watch for a while until it starts getting dark." Alex nodded and made her way into the kitchen with Piper.

"Did you bring a suit?"

"Yeah, I've got one on under this." She gestured to her outfit. She had on a pair of loose jeans and a v-neck t-shirt.

"Good." Piper smirked at her. She leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the lips, not willing to wait any longer. The two continued chatting as Alex made a small plate of food.

"We going down to the beach later?" Alex questioned, assuming that was why Piper requested she wear a suit.

"Nope. Polly has a hot tub on the back patio."

"Mmmm. Even better."

"I guess." Piper shrugged. She loved the hot tub, but nothing compared to being in the ocean in her opinion.

"You have to admit that being in hot water is way better than the chill of the ocean after it gets dark." Alex rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what her girlfriend was thinking.

"Whatever you say….Any body of water feels hot when you're in it with me." Piper winked.

"Very clever, babe." The brunette chuckled.

The two rejoined Pete and Polly in the living room and the four of them spent some time debating what to watch. Eventually they found a film that they were all happy with and settled onto the couches. Each couple cuddled up, enjoying a night in with the people they cared about. The movie came to and end as the sun had almost left the sky and they all made their way outside. They shivered as they settled into the warmth of the tub, the cool evening airs' contrast evident against their exposed skin. Once the sky had gone completely dark, the fireworks began to go off. Pete and Polly progressively got closer and closer, making the environment a bit uncomfortable.

"Really guys?" Piper frowned.

"Do you want to go down to the beach?" Alex inquired, feeling a bit out of place due to the tension between Pete and Polly.

"Do _you_?" The blonde replied with a raised brow, recalling their earlier conversation.

"I want to do whatever makes you happy. Plus, I don't really want to see this go any further." She chucked, gesturing to Pete and Polly who were now sharing a particularly steamy kiss.

"Good point." Piper giggled. She stepped out of the tub and extended a hand to her girlfriend to help her out. The two dried off a bit, slipped their clothes back on, and headed down to the beach with a blanket. They made their way down to the shore and the blonde spread out the blanket for them to sit on. As they watched the colorful display taking place in the sky, Piper couldn't help the way her thoughts began to wander. The summer was coming to a close within the month and she wasn't ready. She wasn't ready to let go of Alex. Sure, they wouldn't be too far apart, but any distance would make things a bit more complicated.

"Do you think that _this_ is a firework?" Piper asked Alex, her eyes not leaving the sky.

"What?" The brunette raised her eyebrows.

"Us. You and me…" She whispered.

"What do you mean, babe?"

"Are we just this sudden blaze of light and warmth? Like this beautiful, enlightening thing…" She explained with her hands out in front of her, gazing toward Alex before looking back into the distance. Her gaze had now fallen to the ocean, watching as the colorful bursts were reflected in fragments. "...that doesn't last. That just..._fades away_ into the darkness like nothing ever even happened." She felt moisture collecting in her eyes and cursed herself internally.

"Pipes…" Alex whispered. When the blonde refused to look at her, she grabbed her by the chin and turned her face until their eyes met. A single tear rolled down the blonde's cheek and Alex attempted to fight off tears of her own. She wiped her thumb over the trail left by the droplet. "We're not a firework. That's not going to happen to us…..I won't _let_ that happen to us." Piper smiled sadly at her. Both women knew that it was going to be much more complicated than that, but they wanted to believe it for just a moment.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hey guys. Sorry it's been a minute. I really appreciate any reviews you guys leave as it helps me to stay motivated haha. I'm trying to work in some of the few suggestions I've been given, so this chapter includes a new character. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

As Piper began stirring, she could feel the weight of someone against her back and smiled. Memories from the previous night came flooding back to her. Her and Alex's emotional conversation on the beach and curling up with her on the beach. They had laid together until there were no more fireworks in sight. The two then walked back to Alex's hand in hand and held each other as they drifted off, not willing to break contact. Now she found herself waking up in Alex's bed and she couldn't imagine a place that she'd rather be.

The blonde turned around to face her girlfriend and smiled widely at the adorable grin on her face as she slept. She allowed herself to just take in her beauty for a moment. After last night, she was feeling closer to Alex than ever. She wasn't naive; she knew that long distance was going to be challenging at times. However, Alex's reassurance last night had put her mind at ease for the time being. She was determined to savor every second shared with her beautiful girlfriend before they had to part ways. She began tracing light patterns on Alex's arm and the brunette let out a light groan before her eyes fluttered open. Their eyes met immediately and both of their smiles widened and Alex chuckled.

"Well hello there."

"Good morning, beautiful." Piper blushed, running the palm of her hand up and down Alex's shoulder. She leaned in to place a soft kiss on her lips.

"Mmmm. Doesn't get much better than waking up with a hot chick in your bed." The blonde rolled her eyes, but couldn't hold back a light laugh.

"What do you want to do today? Do you have to work?"

"Nope. I'm off for a couple of days. I think my friend Nicky may be coming out here later. She's been dying to meet you."

"Really?!" Piper smiled, excited at the prospect of meeting someone else from Alex's life back in New York.

"Of course. Everyone back home knows about you." The blonde's smile fell a bit. Alex always reassured her about the complications of their relationship on her end, but she still felt guilty about it sometimes.

"I wish everyone knew about you." She whispered.

"I know, babe." She tucked a strand of the blonde's hair behind her ear, caressing her cheek. "I do too. These kinds of things take time."

"I know. I just-" She rubbed her palm over her face and let out a sigh. "-I'm just impatient I guess. I just want to be able to be with you completely."

"We are together completely. I'm willing to wait as long as it takes. This is just the beginning for us, right?" Piper held her bottom lip between her teeth and smiled warmly at the girl.

"Right." She moved her gaze back and forth between the brunette's eyes.

"Now let's go shower and get something to eat before Nicky shows up." She planted a soft smack on the blonde's bottom, causing her to let out a yelp.

* * *

The girls shared a nice steamy shower and decided to just stay in and cook a meal. Alex's cooking skills never disappointed and the two were enjoying the alone time too much to go out and eat in the presence of others. The blonde did her best to help her girlfriend out, but she spent most of her time just watching her swift and confident movements around the kitchen. Once she had finished the dish, the two settled on the floor of the living room and ate together while watching some TV. They finished their meal and cozied up on the couch, Piper's head resting in Alex's lap as she read a book she had grabbed off of the rental home's shelves. Piper smiled at the feeling of Alex running her fingers through her hair while she read, captivated by the intense cooking competition show on television. They remained in this position until they heard the doorbell ring. The brunette picked up her phone to see Nicky had indeed texted her to say that she had been on her way and that she had arrived.

"Shit. I didn't even hear my phone go off." She chuckled. Piper sat up to allow Alex to stand and make her way to the door. She wasn't sure what to do, so she awkwardly trailed her girlfriend.

"Vause!" The wild redhead called out as soon as the door was open. "I've missed you, dude." She wrapped her arms around her.

"I've missed you too." She chuckled, patting her friend on the back before pulling away from the hug. "Nick, this is-"

"Piper." She cut her friend off with a slight smirk. "She is a looker, Vause. Damn." The redhead held her bottom lip between her teeth as she looked the young blonde up and down.

"It's so nice to finally meet you." Piper smiled warmly

"The feeling is mutual, blondie. Alex has told me all about you, I just can't believe you are as good-looking as she claimed." She shook her head in disbelief.

"Oh. Well- thank you…?" Piper blushed, her voice rising at the end of her sentence in hesitancy.

"Stop trying to steal my girl, Nichols. I'm right here." The brunette teased.

"Relax, Vause. I wouldn't do that to you. I know how attached you are." She winked and Alex's eyebrows raised slightly at the comment.

"Alright, alright. What d'ya want to do tonight?"

"Well i suggest we head down to the beach at some point. I can't tell you how happy I am to get some time away from the city." Piper smiled widely with excitement.

"Ok. Sounds good to me. You hungry?"

"Always." She chuckled.

"Alright, then. I'll whip up some food for us to take and we can have a little picnic." She made her way into the kitchen and gestured for ehr best friend to follow.

"Hell yeah. I've been missing your cooking."

"Fuck!" Piper exclaimed. Both women turned quickly to eye her curiously.

"What, babe?!" Alex's expression was filled with concern. Piper smiled a bit at how cute she was.

"I just realized how much I'm going to miss your cooking when we both head back home." The blonde replied with a mock frown.

"Jesus, Pipes. You scared me." Alex placed her right hand over her heart. Nicky chuckled, patting her friend on the back. "Wait-" The brunette spoke up after a moment. "You're going to miss _my cooking_. What am I, chopped liver?"

"I mean you're great and all, but the food..." Piper looked of into the distance and let out and exaggerated sigh.

"Piper Chapman, you are such a brat." Alex chuckled and made her way over to her girlfriend. The blonde turned her head to face her and winked.

"I'm just fucking with you, babe. You know I'm going to miss you." She leaned in to capture her lips in a sweet kiss. Alex sensually deepened the kiss before quickly pulling away, smirking when the blonde tried to follow her.

"Damn right."

"That's not fair." Piper pouted.

"My girlfriend likes to eat my cooking more than she likes to eat me. Life is not fair." Alex replied with a shrug. Piper's mouth fell open and her face immediately heated up. The brunette turned to make her way back to the kitchen, well aware of the effect that her last comment would have on her girlfriend.

"Damn, Vause." Nicky grinned, having watched the whole exchange from the kitchen.

"Don't even start." She chuckled. "Now let's get some food ready." The two cut up various fruits and prepared some fresh guacamole. Piper sat quietly at the counter, suddenly feeling a bit shy.

"Hey, Al?" The blonde spoke quietly, after quite some time.

"Yeah?" Alex responded, remaining fixated on the task of chopping a tomato for the guacamole.

"I think I'm gonna head to my place and change. You wanna just come by my place when you're ready and we can walk to the shore together?"

"Sounds great." She finally looked up and offered a small smile. The blonde awkwardly hopped off of the stool and planted a kiss on Alex's cheek before grabbing her things and heading out the door.

"She's a shy one, eh?" Nicky teased.

"Piper isn't quite used to talking about us in front of people I guess. Especially not us..._being intimate_." The brunette shrugged. "I hope I didn't make her feel uncomfortable." She paused for a moment, pondering the thought. She felt a slight lump developing in her throat.

"I'm sure she's fine, Vause. I think you just caught her off guard. I mean if you talked dirty to me like that I'd probably clam up a bit too." She winked, earning her a slap from the taller girl.

"Shut up and help me get this stuff together." She motioned toward the food. The two quickly grabbed everything they needed and placed it into a canvas bag before getting dressed in their own beach attire. When they were both ready, they headed over to Piper's house and Alex lead Nicky straight up to her room. She knocked lightly.

"Hey." Piper smiled as she opened the door. She had put on a pair of light shorts and a sheer white blouse. Her small dark green bikini top was visible through the top, as well as her lean core muscles. Alex couldn't fight a slight smirk.

"Hey, babe. You ready?"

"Yup! Just let me grab my bag." She turned quickly and grabbed a beach bag off of her desk before exiting her room and locking the door behind her. The three girls walked down to the beach, maintaining a light conversation. Piper learned that the redhead actually had a girlfriend back in New York named Lorna who was also eager to meet her. They arrived at the beach and settled on Piper's blanket.

Nicky quickly stripped and practically sprinted to the ocean, as Piper stayed behind to help her girlfriend apply sunscreen to her porcelain skin. The brunette had managed to stay rather pale throughout the summer thanks to copious amounts of high SPF sunscreen and the large umbrella provided for her at work. She had, however, progressively gained more freckles across the bridge of her nose and the tops of her shoulders. Alex was not particularly fond of this development, but the blonde found them to be ridiculously cute. She spread sunscreen around her back and onto her shoulders, placing a soft kiss on an area where the freckles particularly concentrated. Once she had finished, Piper took off her top and shorts and they walked down to the water, hand in hand.

"Took you long enough, casper." Nicky teased. "Y'know you look even paler next to your tan goddess of a girlfriend." She winked, unable to help herself as her eyes scanned over Piper's tan, toned legs and stomach.

"Some of us want to avoid skin cancer. Plus I don't tan. I either burn or get freckles everywhere." Alex rolled her eyes.

"I think it's cute." Piper smiled at her girlfriend, adoringly. The two girls maintained fixated on each other, both getting lost in the other's eyes.

"Hey lesbians." Nicky spoke up while snapping her fingers. "Come on in. No fun in being wet all by myself." She spread her arms out and winked. Alex complied and ran into the ocean, thrusting water in the redhead's direction. She managed to land a large splash on her face and her wild hair fell flat on one side.

The three swam for a while before they started feeling drained from the heat. They decided to head back to Alex's place to relax and the brunette suggested Piper invite Polly over to meet Nicky. Polly had agreed to come over and they spent the night getting to know each other better and playing various card games. Eventually Nicky passed out on the couch and Polly headed back to her place, leaving Alex and Piper alone again on the living room floor. They sat close together, enjoying the feeling of their limbs intertwined. Every once in a while, the redhead would let out a particularly loud snore and they would giggle.

"Just for the record..." Piper spoke up. "..I prefer _you_ over your food any day." The comment definitely had sexual undertones, but the adorably sincere look on Piper's face made it hit Alex in her heart. Of course it hit her in other, more...intimate places, as well.

* * *

**A/N: Let me know how you're feeling about this chapter. I'm not super thrilled with it and the lack of plot, but I wanted to slip Nicky into the narrative for you guys. Would you like to see another chapter with her? If so, what would you like to see them do? If not, what else should I squeeze in as their summer comes to a close? -K**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hello. I'm not dead! So that's good news I guess. Sorry for the long break. I haven't given up just yet, and I hope you haven't given up on me. This chapter is short because I didn't really know where to go next and got a bit discouraged. If you have anything that you are desperate to see between the girls after their returns to their respective homes please let me know. I really want to actually follow through with this fic, so as of right now I'm planning to keep it fairly vague and time jumpy (idk what I'm talking about either), but if I feel inspired by an idea I'll run with it. I know this chapter is absurdly short but I promise more is coming soon. -K**

* * *

After Nicky's visit, Alex and Piper fell back into a comfortable routine. Meeting the wild redhead had only made Piper even more enthusiastic about coming to visit her throughout the school year. Not only would she be missing her girlfriend, she'd also be thrilled to spend time with Nicky and Diane. Things were really looking up and the blonde was grateful to all that the Hamptons had brought her in just a few short months. Now, as July came to a close, the girls found themselves laying under the tree in Piper's reading spot.

"I really want to spend some _quality time_.." Piper wiggled her eyebrows. "..together before we have to head back home for school."

"About that…" Alex took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "...I'm actually leaving tomorrow."

"What?" The blonde barely whispered.

"Yeah. Today was my last day of work, so I'm supposed to be out by tomorrow night. And uh, my mom needs me back to help her at the restaurant before school is back. Some server bailed on them last week and no one wants to pick up the shifts for them."

"Last week? And you haven't thought to mention any of this to me?!"

"I'm sorry. I just didn't know when to tell you. I was waiting for the right time. And if I'm honest, I think I just didn't want to believe it. If I told you, it'd all be too real."

"Well it is real, Alex! And it was going to happen whether you told me or not. The only difference is that now I'm really fucking hurt." Piper fought against the tears she could feel forming in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Pipes. I don't want to fight, ok? Please."

"We're not fighting. I just- I need some time alone. I'll text you later, ok?" The blonde stared at her feet.

"Yeah, ok." Alex whispered. The blonde turned to make her way home. "Piper!" Alex called out when she was at the edge of the road. "I'm sorry." She said this part a bit quieter.

"Me too." The blonde spoke quietly, but the brunette didn't need to hear her clearly to know exactly what she had said. She turned her head back to the ocean and leaned back on her arms, tears streaming down her face. She had fucked that up.

* * *

The blonde practically sprinted home and burst through her door, slamming it behind her. She lay on her bed and tears slowly rolled down her face, wetting her pillow. She was only brought out of her thoughts by the feeling of a thin hand on her shoulder.

"Shit." She rolled over. "Mom. You scared me."

"I'm sorry, dear. I just heard your door slam and wanted to check on you. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." Piper cleared her throat and wiped the wet trails off her face.

"Piper. We're trying to be honest with each other, right?"

"Fine." The blonde took a deep breath and willed herself to calm down enough to speak clearly. "Alex just told me she's going home_ tomorrow_."

"Oh. I see."

"Yeah." More tears spilled down the blonde's cheeks. "I'm going to miss her. It's stupid." She groaned, wiping at her face once again, fighting losing battle against her tears. "We're going to be less than an hour drive away. I just- I think I'm just hurt because she wasn't honest with me. I thought we had more time."

"Piper. Do you two-" Her mom stared at her for a minute with squinted eyes, as if contemplating what to say next. "-are you and Alex...together?" Piper felt her heart rate increase. She sat up in her bed.

"What?"

"Are you two seeing each other? Romantically?"

"...Yes." She held her breath, she was almost certain her heart was making its' way up her throat.

"Ok." She saw Carol glancing around the room. "Ok- that's what I thought."

"You knew?!"

"I suspected. From the first time you introduced me to Alex, I saw the way you two looked at each other. I think I just didn't want to think about it. Because...well because I honestly didn't know how to feel about it."

"I'm sorry. If you're disappointed, I'm really sorry."

"I am not disappointed in you Piper. I'll admit it's going to take some time to get used to the idea. But Alex is a good kid. And I can tell that she's made you happier."

"She is. And she has." Piper smiled, finally having stopped her tears.

"I just want you to be happy, darling. I know I haven't always been the best at making that happen. I hope you can see that I'm trying."

"I can see it. And it means a lot to me. Alex is the best thing that has ever happened to me….I'm sorry." Piper whispered, unsure of how much her mom was willing to talk about their relationship in one night.

"You don't have to apologize. It's not easy to hear, but I'm glad you have someone that you feel so strongly about. I felt the same way about your father when we were young and dating. I still do...most of the time." She joked.

"Will you talk to Daddy about me and Alex?"

"Sure. If that's what you want, then I'll tell him. Although, I have a feeling he'll take it better than me anyway."

"I don't know. I think you're doing just fine." Piper replied, trying to keep the surprise that she was feeling out of her voice. "Thank you, mom."


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I wanted to get a new chapter up for you guys really quickly so here it is. Another fairly short chapter, but also very important as Piper and Alex move forward. Thank you to those of you who have left reviews. It means a lot. I hope you enjoy. -K**

* * *

The following morning Piper joined her mother in the kitchen and she was greeted with a warm cup of tea. She accepted it with a smile and leaned against the counter before taking a sip. The last time she felt this comforted by her mother, she was probably around 5 years of age.

"How did you know?" Her question was followed by a long pause, but she could tell her mother was attempting to formulate a response.

"I know you like to believe I'm oblivious, but even I couldn't miss the connection between you two. I saw the lingering looks…and touches."

Piper looked up from the stove, surprised to catch her mother's reflection in the microwave. Carol Chapman raised her eyebrows and offered a pointed look. The blonde blushed as she was hit with a sudden realization. She thought back to Alex's very first time at her house and their small, intimate moment in the kitchen. The young blonde blushed.

* * *

After she finished her breakfast, Piper headed up to her room and got dressed. She texted Alex and informed her she'd be going over to help her pack her things up. The brunette's reply was a hesitant 'Sounds good. See you soon x'. The moment Alex answered her door the blonde threw her arms around her, hoping to convey just how strongly she was feeling.

"I'm really sorry, kid. It's good to see you."

"I know, I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have run off yesterday. I just got a little bit overwhelmed."

"I understand." Alex dragged her into the rental home where a few boxes were scattered on the living room floor.

"What do you need help with, babe?"

"Uh, if you could help me get the rest of my clothes together and into this box, that'd be great." Piper nodded and the two got to work. Alex hadn't brought much with her, so they had it all packed up in no time. They spent the rest of the day simply enjoying each other's company. Neither were willing to spend another moment of their last day apart. They had both steamy and sentimental sex and ended up wrapped up in each other in Alex's now mostly bare bedroom. The only things that eventually pulled them apart was the growling of their stomachs.

"All I have left is peanut butter, jelly, and bread." The brunette chuckled, having really only fed Piper nice meals up to this point.

"Can't imagine anyone I'd rather eat a pb&j with." Piper replied with a cheesy grin.

"Ditto, kid." The two constructed their sandwiches simultaneously, Piper intentionally reaching for the jelly jar before her girlfriend attempted to dip her knife in. Alex finished and lifted a peanut butter smeared finger to chastise the blonde. Piper quickly took the finger between her lips, recreating the intimate moment the two had shared months previously. They both smiled knowing exactly what the other was thinking.

"Why does everything taste so much better on you?" Piper questioned with only a slight blush.

"I don't know what you're talking about, kid." The brunette winked. "Now eat your sandwich, you horndog. I have to drop you off and drive all the way back to New York tonight." Piper smirked at her but listened to her request. The two ate quickly and loaded the last of the brunette's things.

"Alright, do we have everything?"

"Actually...I think you missed a box in my room." Alex replied in a slightly awkward tone, rubbing at the back of her neck. The blonde eyed her suspiciously. She made her way into the room and found a small box laying near the edge of Alex's bed, which had now been stripped of it's sheets. "Go ahead and open it." The blonde jumped a bit, not realizing Alex had followed her into the room. She reached for the small container and lifted the lid slowly. She was met with the sight of a silver chain with a small off-white pearl dangling from it. "I know it's kind of cheesy, but-"

"I love it!" The blonde squealed. She turned quickly and hugged her girlfriend, placing a peck on her lips. "You know I like it when you get all sappy. Now I'll always have a physical reminder of you with me….Will you put it on for me?" Alex smiled at the girls eagerness and quickly swept her long blonde hair to the side before securing the delicate chain around her neck.

"Perfect." Alex placed a small kiss on the back of her neck, before letting her hair fall back down over it. The two shared a long embrace in Alex's place before they locked the door behind them for the very last time.

She dropped off her key at the front building and made her way down the road to Piper's place. They both got out of the car and Alex leaned up against the side, taking in the view of the beautiful sunset behind her even more beautiful girlfriend. The blonde threw her arms around her neck, stepping closer.

"Your parents are near the front window." Alex whispered as they got closer.

"It's alright." Piper leaned in to kiss her delicately on the lips. "They know about us." She smiled widely, proud that she and Alex were no longer a secret.

"Really?" Alex smirked.

"Yes, really. I talked to my mom last night and she told my father this morning."

"I love you." Alex spoke quietly, surprising even herself. Piper could feel tears collecting in her eyes at the long-awaited declaration.

"I love you too, Alex." She leaned in to give her a more passionate kiss this time. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"I'm going to miss you too, babe. But we'll only be about an hour apart. You can come visit any time you want."

"I know." Piper smiled sadly. "I can't wait. And you can come visit me too sometimes."

"I'd love to, Pipes. Now I gotta go. My mom will kick my ass if I get in too late to go to work early tomorrow morning." They both chuckled. The blonde walked her back to the driver's side and opened the door for her. She leaned in to give her one last kiss after she had gotten settled in the vehicle.

"Text me when you get home okay? And tell Nicky and Diane that I say 'Hi'."

"I will, babe."

"Ok. Bye, Al. Drive safely." Piper stepped back, waving to Alex as she pulled out of their driveway. She couldn't help but wear a huge smile even as tears developed in her eyes. She was in love.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Hey guys. Here's another chapter! Sorry it's been a minute. I'm sort of itching to get to the end of this story so this chapter covers a fair amount of time. I'm not exactly sure how much more I'll need to write to get it where I want it to end, but I think we're getting close. I really appreciate all of the love I've received on my impulsive post of "Reunion" haha. Honestly wasn't expecting that. At this point, I don't feel super confident on my ability to turn it into more than a oneshot, but it's definitely on my mind. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story for now.**

* * *

The first few weeks of the school year proved to be difficult for both Piper and Alex. The blonde was enrolled in college courses that meant her days started an hour earlier monday-thursday. Alex on the other hand, was struggling to balance her academic load and work schedule. Both girls were desperate to see each other, but struggling to find the time.

"Do you even _want _to see me, Pipes?!"

"Of course I do, babe! It's just taking some time to get used to my new schedule. I have college courses on top of my normal high school curriculum. That means a lot of homework."

"I get it, kid. I _really _do. But the fact that we're only 45 minutes away and still barely get to see each other is a little frustrating."

"I promise I'm going to come soon. I think if I finish both of my papers tonight and my presentation tomorrow after school then I can head down in time to join you guys for dinner."

"So I'm guessing that means this conversation is over." Piper could tell by Alex's tone that she was rolling her eyes.

"Yes. I'm _really_ sorry. I'll text you later tonight if I have time. I'm coming tomorrow night. Promise."

"Ok, kid. Talk to you later."

"I love you." Piper said with a dorky grin adorning her face. It had been nearly a month since the two had first exchanged 'I love you's and it still gave her butterflies.

"I love you too, Pipes."

Piper stayed true to her promise and worked tirelessly on all of her assignments so she could spend the weekend in New York. She had completed everything by about 5:00 pm and quickly packed a backpack with everything she'd need for a couple days. Her parents were a bit apprehensive about letting her stay with Alex, but luckily they decided she had earned a little break. The drive wasn't very long, but it felt like an eternity after. Finally walking into the Vause's cozy apartment and pulling Alex into a hug felt like coming home.

Diane had invited many of Alex's friends over and made an amazing dinner for them. All of the girls took a liking to Piper, and the blonde felt a tremendous amount of relief. She even got to meet Nicky's girlfriend and the couples decided they should go on a double date sometime before Piper went back home. The blonde was beyond thrilled when Diane informed them that she was headed over to a friend's house later that night. It was pretty obvious that she was just trying to give the two girls some alone time, and Piper couldn't be more grateful. Once the two were alone they finally got to reconnect in a more intimate way and stayed wrapped up in each other in Alex's bed.

"Wow." Piper sighed, not quite having realized how much she had missed alex touch.

"Yeah. That was amazing." Alex smirked.

"I have to say having sex in a twin bed is a little bit more complicated logistically." Piper chuckled, recalling a moment from earlier in which she almost rolled off of the mattress. Luckily Alex had wrapped her strong arms around her before she fell.

"I've only ever had a twin, so I guess I'm just used to it." Alex shrugged. The blonde closed her eyes and tried not to think about all the girls that Alex had potentially had writhing beneath her gorgeous body in this very bed. "It's probably a good thing to get used to. Y'know with college coming up and everything."

"I hadn't even thought about that." Piper replied, getting lost in thought for a moment. Would she and Alex stay together that long? Could they go to the same school or would they be even further apart? She definitely wanted to stay together, but she didn't want Alex to feel like she was holding her back.

"You alright, kid? Lost you there for a second."

"Yeah. Yeah, sorry." Piper locked eyes with Alex once again.

"Where'd you go?"

"I guess I just hadn't really thought about how things were going to change between us in college. I love you. I want us to stay together, but what if we end up at schools that are really far apart. I haven't even asked you where you want to go and I-"

"Ok, ok. Take a breath." Alex ran a hand up and down Piper's arm. "I want to stay in New York for college. I don't even know if we can swing it with in-state tuition. My mom has been working her ass of since I was little to save up money. I've been working since I was 16 and saving, but I'm sure it's nowhere near enough."

"Alright. I guess I just worried you'd want to move far away for college, but that makes sense. I've already applied to Smith, Wesleyan University, NYU, and Columbia University."

"I just sent my applications to Hamilton and Barnard a few days ago." Alex smiled. "We probably won't end up very far apart. And if we do, we'll figure it out babe. I'm not going to let you go."

"Ok." The blonde let out a deep breath. She tucked into the brunettes side even further.

"Now let's go to sleep. You wore me out, kid." Alex replied with a chuckle.

"Good night, Al." She placed a soft kiss on her shoulder before allowing her heavy eyes to close.

* * *

The following morning, Piper woke up to find Alex still asleep and headed out to the kitchen to get a drink. When she spotted Diane passed out on the couch, she chuckled and decided to get a start on breakfast. The past few weeks, Piper had started helping out more in the kitchen at home. She was still an amateur, but figured she could whip up something for the Vause women.

Spotting a package of sourdough bread, she decided to make some french toast; something she often did with her dad when she was younger. Once she had that started, she quickly cut up some fresh fruit and scrambled a few eggs. She did her best to search for all of the supplies quietly as to not wake up a likely hungover Diane. A pair of arms wrapped around her torso from behind, startling her before causing her face to light up with a smile.

"Good morning." Piper whispered.

"Pretty brazen to attempt cooking something for my mom." Alex chuckled.

"Neither of you were awake." The blonde shrugged. "Do you think this will be okay?" She removed the last two pieces of french toast from the skillet.

"Looks amazing." Alex placed a soft kiss on the side of her head and slid one of her hands down to squeeze the blonde's ass through her small pajama shorts. The blonde smirked at the sensation of the sweet gesture being followed by something much less innocent. She tugged her hand off of her by her wrist and pulled it back around her, before turning in her arms.

"Your mom is right there." Piper pointed out, glancing toward the couch.

"She's also unconscious." Alex teased.

"For the moment." The blonde replied with a raised brow. "Just help me get everything on plates and we'll take one to your mom. Oh, and she might want some coffee." She giggled.

"Definitely." Alex laughed. "She didn't even make it to her bed to she must have drank a bit too much last night. I'm sure she'll be feeling it. Hangovers only get worse as you get old."

"I heard that, Alexandra. You better watch it." Diane called out form the couch. Piper busted out into a full blown laugh when she saw the look on Alex's face at being caught.

* * *

The weekend together was a success. It seemed to go by unbelievably fast, but the pair spent plenty of time together. Much of their Saturday was spent relaxing and then they went to see a movie with Nicky and Lorna. On Sunday, Alex took Piper to her favorite local bookshop and restaurant (aside from her mother's workplace of course). She even took her by her high school to give her a bit more insight into her life. Piper was thrilled with this and couldn't wait until Alex came to visit her hometown so she could do the same.

Piper got the chance to do so only a couple of weeks later. The dynamic between Alex and her family was a bit awkward at times, but she could see the effort her parents were putting in. Her mother spent quite a lot of time in the kitchen with Alex, and her father often sat at the counter asking the brunette about herself. He appeared to have taken quite an interest in her plans for the future, and Piper couldn't help but smile at his protective instincts. She knew he would be impressed by Alex.

The girls tried to alternate turns when visiting each other, but it mostly depended on who had more free time to make the drive and be away from home. Piper tried to accommodate Alex, as she knew that she needed her work shifts to save up for college. The blonde's favorite visit during the fall semester was the third time Alex came up. She had joined the Chapman's in an excursion to the tennis courts and Piper thoroughly enjoyed watching her learn how to play. Not only because her surprising lack coordination was adorable, but because she got to watch her work up a sweat in athletic shorts and a tank top. Her family had really started taking to the brunette.

When November 15th rolled around, Piper planned a surprise visit for Alex's eighteenth birthday. She had told Alex she wouldn't be able to make it due to her upcoming week being packed with exams. She felt bad when she heard the disappointment in the brunette's voice, but knew it would be worth it. Diane had once again agreed to give them some alone time and let Piper into their apartment before heading to her restaurant. The blonde smirked and made her way into Alex's room, rushing to get everything together before she got home from class. She threw her bag and Alex's gift under the bed and grabbed a book off of her shelves. She slipped off her clothes and slid under the covers in the brunette's bed. She sat up and tucked the sheet against her waist, breasts on display, before flipping to a random page in the book. She smirked when she heard Alex come in through the apartment's front door.

"Hey, mom. I'm home!" A sound of keys on a countertop was followed by footsteps coming closer and closer. "Mom?" She heard her call out one last time before she came straight into her room. The brunette made her way straight over to her desk, dropping off her backpack and a water bottle. She turned. "Holy shit!" Piper couldn't help but chuckle at the response, raising her eyes from the book in her hands to meet Alex's.

"Happy Birthday, babe."

"What the hell. What are you doing here?" Her expression was an intriguing mixture of pure joy and confusion.

"Just some light reading." She held up the book, exposing her chest completely to the brunette.

"Very funny." Alex began unbuttoning her shirt and walked over to the bed. "Please tell me this trend continues under the blanket…?" Her eyes remained fixated on the blonde's breasts.

"I guess you'll have to see." Piper threw the novel to the side and tugged at Alex until she was straddling her.

"Don't have to ask me twice." Their lips met in a searing kiss.

* * *

She gifted her a candle, a poetry book that she had personally marked and highlighted, and a dark grey, suede biker jacket. The last gift she handed Alex was a wrapped frame. She eyed her curiously before tearing the paper off. What she found brought tears to her eyes. It was a gorgeous black and white print of a firework high in the sky above a city scape and bridge, reflecting in the water below.

"This one is frozen in time. It's beauty will last forever." Piper explained.

"Damn right, kid." She let a few tears roll down her cheek, before wiping at her eyes. "It's perfect."

* * *

**A/N: I've randomly chosen Alex's birthday as November 15 because I refuse to believe she could be anything other than a Scorpio like myself haha. Anyway, I just whipped this up quite quickly so as usual let me know if I made any mistakes I need to correct. Edit: I just watched the final trailer for orange season 7 and I need someone to hold me. Omg. -K**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Thanks for 100 reviews! I would have never imagined that a substantial amount of people would take an interest in my writing haha. Not super thrilled with how this chapter has turned out, but I felt that the holidays would be an important part of the progression of Piper and Alex's relationship so I had to at least touch on it. I promise I'm wrapping it up :) I just don't want to gloss over everything too much. I predict a fair amount of time jumping in the near future, so I hope you are all alright with that. -K**

As the holiday season rolled around, Piper found herself desperately working up the courage to make plans for her parents and Diane to meet for the first time. Her mother had always been strict when it came to holiday traditions. Everything had to be picture perfect, but this year did seem to be one of changes thus far. The young blonde was currently in the car with her mother, on the way home from a day of shopping. She eyed Carol and took a deep breath before finally voicing what had been on her mind..

"Y'know, when I went down for Alex's birthday, Diane offered to host us for thanksgiving. She said she could cook and set a big table at the restaurant she works at." Piper felt a lump forming in her throat..

"Oh, really? Well that's very kind of her."

"I thought so too…" The blonde trailed off and the car filled with a silence that caused her heart rate to increase even more.

"I suppose a trip could be nice. Your father and I could stay in a fancy hotel with the boys...I'm assuming the Vause's don't have much room in their apartment?" The question was surprisingly void of judgement.

"Yeah, the place isn't very big. But there are some very nice hotels nearby! I'd really love for you and dad to meet Diane. Plus, I can't imagine how incredible her thanksgiving meal would be based on her regular cooking." Carol took her eyes off of the road for a moment and a offered warm smile.

"I think that would be lovely. Why don't you text Alex to make sure the offer still stands? Then we'll let your father and brothers know." Piper was absolutely elated. Seeing how hard her mother had been trying to understand and accept her relationship with Alex meant the absolute world to her. She quickly shot a text to Alex to share the exciting news. Diane was still up for it, of course, and she was thrilled at the prospect of finally meeting Piper's family.

* * *

The ride to New York was full of nervous energy. Piper was both absolutely thrilled, and terrified of things going awry. Having her brothers by her side at least meant there'd be comic relief if anything went wrong. She was texting Alex during the entire ride to help calm her nerves. They reached the door of the Vause's apartment and Piper knocked a few times, feeling all of her family members looking over her shoulders. Alex answered the door and smiled widely, inviting the family in. Diane was right behind her. Each of the Chapman's offered a warm greeting to Alex.

"You must be Diane." Carol spoke up.

"Guilty." Diane chuckled, nervously. Piper had never seen the older Vause look so apprehensive.

"It's so nice to meet you." Diane pulled her into a hug. "I can see why your daughter is so stunning. You two look just alike." Both Piper and Alex's eyebrows raised at the genuine interaction. The blonde wrapped and arm around her girlfriend's waist, pulling her into her side. She placed a soft kiss against the side of her neck, feeling as if she couldn't be close enough to the brunette.

"Likewise. And I can also see why Piper is so well-mannered. My Al may be a bit lacking in that department." She joked.

The two mothers settled on the couch with two glasses of wine and chatted for quite some time. Bill Chapman was more of a silent observer, but even he was open to conversing with Diane about her life and her daughter. Things were going surprisingly well and Piper was really looking forward to thanksgiving dinner the following day. After a few hours, the Chapman family headed out to check into their hotel room. Piper was allowed to stay with Alex and Diane and spent the rest of the night filling them in on her family members before curling up against Alex in her bed.

Thanksgiving dinner went off without a hitch. Piper and Alex had headed to the restaurant with Diane to help her get all of the food prepped. The blonde was always in awe of how well the two worked together, especially in the kitchen. As expected, all of the food was exquisite and even Carol and Bill were impressed. There were a few awkward moments; mainly thanks to Nicky's presence and her inability to sensor herself. Overall, the mingling of the Vause and Chapman families exceeded all expectations. Piper's parents and siblings headed back home after just two nights in the hotel, but Piper was permitted to stay after Alex promised to give her a ride home at the end of the break. As they said goodbye, Carol said yet another thing that caught both of the young women off-guard.

"Thank you again for everything. You and Alex must join us for Christman this year. It would be so nice to have you in our home and repay you for this delightful visit."

"We'd love to." Diane smiled warmly, not bothering to check in with her daughter before accepting the offer. Piper was practically beaming as her parents said their goodbyes and left the apartment to head back home. Alex was the first to speak up after the door was shut.

"Well that went surprisingly well."

* * *

Piper and Alex went through the end of November and early December without contacting each other much. They each had heavy homework loads and midterms to study for. The blonde would occasionally text her girlfriend with another concern or warning surrounding the upcoming holiday. Things had gone so well over Thanksgiving, she was almost suspicious. Alex had plenty of practice in calming Piper down by now, so she helped her to remain optimistic. The Vause women headed up to Connecticut on the 20th and planned to stay until the day after Christmas.

"Hi!" Piper answered the door and immediately pulled Diane into a hug. "It's so good to see you guys!" She then reached out to wrap her arms around Alex.

"Really, you greet my mom before me? I'm deeply offended." Piper simply smiled at her girlfriend's remark and landed a quick peck on her lips.

"I've missed you, babe. Let me take your jackets and bags for you." The blonde grabbed each of their coats and hung them up in the foyer closet.

"This place is breathtaking." Diane took in the layout and precise decor of the large home.

"Thank you." The blonde smiled warmly. "Let me show you guys to your rooms and then I'll give you the grand tour, Diane." She grabbed Alex's backpack and slung it over her shoulder and carried Diane's duffle bag in her right hand. After making her way up the stairs, she led the eldest Vause to the guest room she had chosen for her to stay in.

The room was full of crisp white details. Two opposing walls wore a white and off-white floral wallpaper. The queen bed was held in a dark bronze metal frame that matched the handle detailings of the other furniture. Piper had taken her time in making the bed and arranging everything that Diane might be needing during her stay. She even want out to get a candle that she knew was her favorite scent and a novel by her favorite author: Meg Wolitzer.

"So this is the bedroom.." Piper set Diane's bag on top of the dresser before leading them around the bed to another door. "..And this is the bathroom." The en suite was small but Piper had been allowed to help with the design details so she loved it. All of the hardware on the sink, shower, and toilet were a dark bronze that contrasted from the clean white aesthetic that her mother was so fond of.

"This might just be the fanciest place I've ever stayed in." Diane chuckled. She made her way back over to the bed and plopped down on the cozy mattress.

"Alright, then." Piper giggled at her actions. "I'm going to show Alex to her room and then we'll come back and get you."

"My room?" Alex inquired. The first few times she came to visit the Chapmans she had stayed in the home's other guest room. Partially out of respect and partially out of fear. However, the more Bill and Carol warmed up to her, the more lax they became with the rules. She and Piper were still never particularly touchy in front of her parents, but they were trusted to stay together behind closed doors.

"Yup." Piper walked right past her and into the guest room at the other end of the hallway. "Here we are." She sat on the edge of the bed smirking at her girlfriend.

"Pipes...please tell me you're joking."

"Why would I do that?"

"I'm wondering the same thing. C'mon, babe, it's been such a long time since we've seen each other. I want to sleep with you."

"Really? With your mother only a few rooms away?" Piper teased.

"Like we don't do that at my place, anyway." Alex smirked. "And you know what I mean. I miss having you_ next to me_._"_

"I know, baby. I'm just fucking with you. I redecorated this room for Dan's girlfriend's parents, though. What do you think?"

"It looks great, Pipes...And I hate you for that."

"No you don't."

"No, no I don't"

"It was just _so cut_e when you got all upset because you wanted to cuddle with me!" Piper practically squealed, causing Alex to roll her eyes. The brunette had never been quite as soft as when she was with Piper.

* * *

Piper's made quick work of showing Diane around her home. She appeared to be pretty shocked by the size of the place, and the blonde tried not to let it get to her. Sometimes she forgot just how different her upbringing had been from Alex's. She didn't pity the brunette. Diane had always provided for her and loved her more than anyone in the entire world. However, with college coming up, Piper began to see just how unfair all of it was. Alex was just about the most intelligent person that she knew, but she would struggle to get the higher education that she deserved just because of her financial situation. Sure, she'd get some aid and probably even a scholarship. But even with those and the money she'd saved, she'd probably come out the other end in a lot of debt.

Just as she was finishing the tour, her parents and Dan entered the home with his girlfriend and her parents. They had gone to pick them up as they only lived about 20 minutes away. They had also decided to call in and pick up a fancy meal on their way home. The restaurant of choice was an authentic italian place down the road; Piper's favorite. All three families sat down together to have dinner together. Everyone got along quite nicely, much to Piper's relief. Diane was easy to get along with, but she was a bit apprehensive about Dan's girlfriend and her family. They were a bit snooty at times. They got on the topic of schools, and everyone seemed to be rather impressed by how smart and together Alex was.

However, when the topic geared towards more expensive colleges, Piper didn't really feel like commenting. Dan's girlfriend was the type of girl who would get into a fancy school just because her parents had money, and spend all of her time partying in a sorority. Luckily, Alex and Diane just went along rather politely and the meal was over before they knew it. Piper immediately starting clearing people's plates and taking them to the kitchen. Alex was quick to join her and the blonde couldn't help but smile adoringly at her.

"Here, I got these." The brunette spoke up, grabbing a few plates to help lighten her load. Piper dropped off her handful of dishes in the sink before her father interrupted her.

"Piper. Could I speak to you for a moment?"

"Yeah, daddy. What's up?"

"Well," His eyes darted to Alex and back to his daughter. "Could we actually go to my office?"

"Uh. Yes, of course." She dried off her hands and followed Bill into his office where he shut the door behind him. He walked over to his desk and she sat in a chair on the opposite side.

Alex's eyes followed Piper as she made her way into her dad's study. She could just barely see the two conversing through the door's glass panes. She watched as her girlfriends face became increasingly serious. Her eyes shifted back and forth between her father's. She was silent for quite some time before her mouth appeared to take the shape of the phrase 'Are you sure?'. It was hard to discern what the two were chatting about, especially since she could really only see the side of Bill's head. Suddenly, there were tears streaming down Piper's face. But she was smiling. She stood up and pulled her father into a hug. Alex decided to bring her focus back to her task of clearing dishes. She could always ask Piper about it later. Then again, maybe it wasn't really her business.

The blonde joined her once again and the two continued helping Carol until the whole table was cleared and the dishes being washed. Everyone had made their way back to their rooms to get their things settled for the stay. Piper decided to take Alex back to her room so they could relax and she could help her unpack her things. She began taking Alex's clothes out and placing them in drawers.

"Everything okay?" The brunette questioned.

"What do you mean?"

"With your dad. It looked like you had been crying." Alex tried not to reveal the fact that she had been staring at the two for the majority of their interaction.

"Oh, yeah. It's all good. Don't worry about it." Piper smiled widely, and Alex felt herself becoming a bit jealous that she didn't get to know the reason behind it.

"Right. Yeah, ok." The brunette took her toiletries into the bathroom, placing them on the corner of Piper's large counter. When she returned she found the blonde holding a pair of her underwear.

"Mmm. I like these." She smirked, twirling a dark red thong around her fingers. "Very festive." The blonde offered a mildly clumsy wink before strutting over to her girlfriend, underwear still in hand.

"You're such a dork." Alex let out a low chuckle and Piper wrapped her arms around her before pulling her into a deep kiss.

"That may be, but this dork-" She pulled back slightly to gesture to herself. "-has a _hot_ girlfriend who wears _hot_, festive underwear for her."

"Oh yeah?" She raised an eyebrow. "You want to see some green to go with that red?" Piper eyed Alex's hands as they moved to the button and zipper of her pants. Emerald green lace came into her view as she lowered the zipper all the way.

"Yes, please." She dropped to her knees and tugged at her skinny jeans until they rolled all the way down her long legs, revealing the entire thong. She threw her pants across the room and placed a kiss over the front of her underwear before standing back up.

"Really? You're going to leave me hanging?"

"One second." Piper held a finger to her girlfriend's lips and walked over to lock her door before turning the TV on with a moderate volume. Just then, she heard her brother's shower running as well and was thankful for the coincidence. "Ok, you still have to try to be quiet, though." She grabbed her girlfriends hands and leg her to sit in the patterned armchair in the corner of her room. She immediately dropped to her knees and pulled Alex's underwear off before burying her face between her legs. Piper was certainly feeling festive over this particular holiday.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: This ch has the overall arch I had planned, but some random details just sort of flowed out of me for reasons that I can't quite understand haha. I think I'm going to trust my gut on this one. I hope it all makes sense to you guys and you're happy with the direction. This is essentially the last ch, followed by a _tiny_ little epilogue type of deal. Also didn't really read over this, so let me know if you come across any mistakes.**

* * *

It was no surprise to anyone when Piper heard back from each of the colleges she applied to via acceptance letters. Not only were her academic accomplishments impressive, she also participated in multiple clubs and sports throughout high school. The young blonde was a bit apprehensive about telling Alex the news before she had heard back from her chosen universities. She decided to wait it out. It was a friday after school and track practice when Piper flopped her exhausted body in her bed. As soon as she hit the pillow she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.

Alex: Hey babe! I hope you had a good day at school. I trust you aced your maths exam?

Piper: Hi, Al. You bet your sweet ass, I did! On both counts x

Alex: Glad to hear it. Guess what?

Piper: What?

Alex: I heard back from Hamilton and Barnard.

Piper: Oh yeah….?

Alex: I got accepted into both! Barnard actually offered me a decent scholarship too. Might be able to swing it with an amount of debt that is only mildly crippling.

Piper: Of course you did! I'm so proud of you, baby.

Alex: Thanks Pipes. Have you made any decisions yet?

Piper: I haven't even told you if I've gotten accepted anywhere.

Alex: Like I even have to ask….nerd.

Piper: I practically felt your eye roll from all the way in New York. And I got in all of them. The track and field coaches from Smith and Columbia really want me.

Alex: That's great, Pipes. I'm really happy for you.

Piper: Do you think there's anyway you could come up this weekend? I know it's kind of last minute, but I'm dying to see you. My mom is putting on this snooty event at our place. It'd be so much better with a beautiful date by my side.

Alex: Very smooth. I could probably convince Jeremy to pick up my shift tomorrow….

Piper: Please. I promise I'll make it worth your while ;)

Alex: Alright, kid. Consider it done. I'll head up tomorrow morning. You're lucky I love you so much.

Piper: I know I am. I love you too, Al.

* * *

As the school year came to a close, Alex decided to confirm her enrollment in Barnard College. It was close enough to her home that she'd get to se Diane frequently, and maybe even keep her current job. The tuition was also slightly more affordable, especially with the scholarship.

After much debate, Piper decided to attend Columbia University. She was originally very keen on going to Smith, but decided she cared more about being close to Alex than going to a slightly fancier university. She was always a dedicated student, so she was certain she would get a lot out of her college experience either way. Not to mention, as an English major, she was guaranteed a decent program at most any school. She had yet to tell Alex, as she wasn't sure what her reaction would be. This weekend was Piper's graduation; she'd tell her girlfriend the news after the ceremony.

Having Alex there to watch her graduate felt right. This was just one of many milestones to come for the two. It was the symbol of the next chapter of Piper's life that she hoped would include more and more of her incredible girlfriend. High school graduation had never seemed like a big deal to the blonde, but having Alex by her side reminded her to never take a moment for granted; even the littlest moments. The ceremony was unnecessarily long. As soon as it was over, Piper made a b-line straight for the crowd and gave Alex a huge hug and a kiss. Although the blonde had been taught to care what other people thought from the day she was born, she couldn't care less about what her classmates may be thinking in that moment.

Carol had put together a small dinner for her daughter. She and Diane had even worked together to prepare a nice meal and dessert. The dinner was comfortable for everyone...except for Piper who was beginning to feel anxious. She was more than happy with her college decision, but wasn't sure if Alex would take it in the wrong way.

"To Piper." Bill raised his glass. The rest of the table followed suit. "We are all so proud of you and everything you've accomplished inside and outside of school. I have no doubt that you will continue to excel throughout your career at Columbia and beyond. You've always been a little firecracker, Piper. And I wouldn't change it for anything. Your grandfather would have been so proud." By this point, Piper had tears in her eyes, and wore a soft grin.

"Thank you daddy. Thank you all for being here. Every single one of you has played a major role in helping me become the person that I want to be. I wouldn't be able to do any of this without your support, and I am excited for what the future has to bring." She eyed Alex specifically for the last part of her small speech. The brunette was smiling, but Piper could tell that she had something on her mind. After a few more bites, Piper excused herself to go to the restroom. She allowed herself to let out a few tears, suddenly missing her grandmother more than she had since she had lost her two years ago. There was a knock at the door.

"Piper. Kid, you alright?"

"Yeah." She cleared her throat and sniffled a few times, wiping at her nose and eyes. She reached for the door and unlocked it. "Come on in."

"What's wrong, babe?" Alex appeared to be really concerned. Piper just shook her head, fighting off more tears that were threatening to spill. She couldn't look Alex in the eyes right now without falling apart. "Is this about Columbia? _Fuck._ I fucking told you to make a decision for _you_. Not for _me._"

"What the hell are you on about? This isn't about you, Alex! Jesus fuck." Piper pushed past her and headed to her bedroom. The blonde immediately slipped her dress off and put on a loose jumper and a pair of shorts. There was an old picture of her and her grandpa William on her dresser that she grasped in her hands. She sat in her bay window and stared out the window, watching as another family had a graduation dinner in a house across the street. She found herself lost; staring at the photograph in her hands when she felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump slightly.

"You've never told me about him." It was Alex, of course.

"I know." This revelation only caused another bout of tears to hit the blonde. Alex was quick to slide in next to her girlfriend and wrap her arms around her. Her dad's father had been such an important person in her life. After he passed, Piper didn't really allow herself to process it. She just buried herself further and further into her school work and extra curriculars. After he was gone, she knew she'd have to push herself even harder if she even wanted to make anyone proud. Now that she felt so supported by her mother, she had almost forgotten that there was someone else who had been that for her first. The blonde couldn't stand the guilt she was feeling. How had she never even mentioned him to Alex?

"It's ok, Pipes. Just breathe." Alex ran her hand up and down her arm and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"He was so incredible. Even since I was a little kid, he supported me. He always encouraged me to dream big. He was a pusher- just like the rest of my family- but he also encouraged me to be myself. To believe in myself. He was the first person in my life to be that for me…and then-" She paused, fighting against her emotions.

"He sounds like an amazing grandfather." Alex offered, giving her girlfriend a moment.

"He was. When he passed away, I just couldn't handle it. I was only just 15. The first person I ever really lost, just so happened to be the most influential person I had known. I tried to forget about it. To stop feeling. Everyone else just moved on and I knew I had to. I had to keep fighting to prove myself to other people if I ever wanted them to give me a chance. He was always on my mind, though. Now that things have gotten better, it feels as if I have almost forgotten. And I feel _really_ guilty about it."

"I'm so sorry you felt that way...that you _feel _that way. But you're not alone, now. He would have been happy about you being happy. You haven't forgotten about his impact on you, you've just learned how to cope and move on. It's human. You have to be resilient in this world. I'm always here for you if you need to be reminded about that."

"Thank you, Al. I'm sorry that I yelled at you." The blonde wiped at her eyes and let out a self-deprecating laugh.

"I'm sorry that I assumed you were upset with me about college stuff."

"I just _knew _you would react like that when you found out. So with that and the sudden rush of emotions about my grandfather...I just got overwhelmed."

"I'm really happy that we're going to school so close together. It's just- I want to make sure that you're making the decision for you and not for me. Because all I want is for you to be happy. And I know how excited you were about Smith."

"I mean I always thought I'd want to go to Smith, but I've changed a lot over the past year. Columbia has a really good English and Comparative Literature program, and I'm guaranteed a spot on the track team. Being close to you is just a bonus."

"Ok. Shall we go and join your family again? You sort of bolted before the dessert, which just so happens to be the best part."

"Yes." Piper replied with a chuckle. "Do I look alright?" She hastily rubbed at the are under her eyes, in case her makeup had run.

"You look beautiful, as always." Alex placed a kiss on the side of her forehead and stood up, extending an arm to help Piper up.

"You're such a softy, Vause." Alex rolled her eyes at the comment. "Now give me a hug." The two embraced for a long moment, exchanging quiet 'I love you's'. This is exactly how things were supposed to be.

* * *

Alex graduated merely a week later, and Piper's parents made the trip to New York with her to show their support. During the ceremony, the young blonde sat next to Diane and held her hand as Alex was nearing her turn to walk across the stage. Her heart nearly melted when Alex reached for her diploma. Piper turned to Diane to find a few tears rolling down her cheeks. She gently wiped them away and the two shared a warm smile. Diane had never graduated from high school, and she had worked her ass of to make sure that Alex would. Not only had she graduated, but she graduated with honors and was on her way to an excellent university.

The five of them headed back to the Vause apartment to have a nice dinner. Diane had pulled out all the stops, cooking all of Alex's favorite dishes. As the dinner came to a close, Piper got to work in helping Diane with the clean-up. Alex felt her heart racing when Bill Chapman pulled her aside. The two of them made their way out to the apartment's small balcony.

"I just wanted to say congratulations once again on your accomplishments." He smiled.

"T-thank you, sir." Alex offered a hesitant smile in return.

"I also wanted to extend an offer to you. If you'd allow me to, I'd really like to help pay for your tuition." The brunettes eyes widened.

"Oh- I. I've been working hard to save up. I've also been offered a decent scholarship so-"

"I know." He cut her off with a quiet statement. "I _also_ knew from what Piper has told me about you that you would try to refuse my offer. But, I'd really like you to at least hear me out. You are not a charity case, Alex. I know that you could very well handle all of this on your own...but you don't have to." He emphasized the last part. "You have been working hard with both school and work, and you deserve to enjoy your college experience without the concern of debt. I am invested in you because I am invested in Piper's future _with_ you. I would not offer you money without being a hundred percent certain that you will make excellent use of it." Alex took a deep breath, staring down at the city streets. She wasn't sure what to say, and suddenly felt as if she couldn't physically get any words out.

"Wow." She barely whispered before clearing her throat. "I don't really know what to say to be honest."

"You don't have to know right now. I could give you some time…" He made his way over to the brunette, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Alex took a deep breath and decided to swallow her pride. She'd never been great at accepting help, but she knew better than to pass up on this offer. This would be best for both her and Piper as they moved forward together.

"I think I'd like to take you up on it. But I'm going to do my best with what I have saved up. And I'm planning to keep my current job, so there will be a consistent flow of income."

"Absolutely. You continue to do your best and I will cover whatever you need."

* * *

**A/N: Shoutout to the guest who commented about Bill's offer to pay for college, you've practically read my mind ;) -K**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Here is my miniature happy ending for Vauseman. This is very short, sweet, and to the point. My only real reasons for separating it into another chapter are organization and having a nice even 20 ch's. I plan to continue writing either as part of one of my other existing stories or something new, but I'm not sure when that will be. Things have been a bit rough for me recently (I'm aware that's kind of insignificant, but wanted to let you know in case I disappear for a while). Although a bit perfunctory, I hope you all find this ending to be satisfactory. -K**

* * *

Four Years Later

Piper and Alex had managed to stay together throughout the ups and downs of their college careers. Overall, they had only become closer. Each girl spent their freshman year in the dorms before they moved into a shared apartment (largely thanks to the financial help of Piper's parents). Piper graduated with an English and Comparative Literature degree, and Alex landed on a major in Economics. The two graduated on the same weekend, and decided to start their summer in the same place that they had met nearly five years ago.

It was a typical, warm summer evening, and the two strolled on the beach hand in hand. Piper made her best attempt of being sly, slowly leading Alex toward her reading spot. The sun was only just beginning to set. Everything was falling into place and this was a perfect full circle moment for the couple. Alex immediately made her way to the edge of the cliff, appreciating the familiar view. The blonde stood only a couple feet behind her, taking deep breaths that made the smell of the ocean feel even more prounounced.

"Wow, this place brings back some memories." Alex spoke into the distance. "Still a beautiful view. Although my favorite part of this particular view has always been the good compan-" Alex turned around and immediately froze when she found Piper kneeling on the ground, a small navy box in her right hand. The blonde let out a small giggle at the look of shock on her girlfriend's face before she found the words to begin her proposition.

"Alex Pearl Vause...from the moment I laid eyes on you I knew that my world would never be the same-"

"Pipes…" Alex whispered, tears collecting in her eyes.

"Shhh! I prepared a sappy speech so listen to me." Alex chuckled, wiping at her eyes and nodding. "At 16 years old you showed me that there was so much more to life than I could have ever imagined. Loving you is the first decision that I ever made solely for myself. I could have never anticipated just how much my love for you would grow. These past 5 years have been the best of my entire life, and there is no doubt in my mind that it is because of you...I don't know what the future has in store for us….All I know for certain is that I never want to let you go. So..." The blonde let out a deep, shaky breath."...Will you marry me?" She opened the ring box in her hands, slowly revealing a delicate silver ring. It held a gorgeous off-white pearl that had tiny diamonds on either side.

"I know the pearl is a _little_ on the nose, but-" Piper joked nervously before Alex cut her off.

"Yes." Alex wore an adorable smirk that slowly transformed into the biggest smile Piper had ever seen on her face.

"_Yes_?" The blonde stood up, immediately wrapping her arms around her now fiancée and pulling her into a kiss.

"Of course." Alex broke their kiss with a chuckle. "I love you so much, Pipes."

"I love you too! More than I can even begin to express." The blonde down at Alex's left hand that was interlaced with her own and remembered she still had one thing left to do. She was quick to pull the ring she had gotten out and slide it onto the brunette's slender ring finger. The two shared another kiss and a long embrace before pulling apart again. They both had tears streaming down their faces, and helped each other in drying their cheeks.

"It's beautiful." Alex admired the ring closely for the first time. The pearl in the center was a nearly perfect match to the necklace she had given to Piper all those years ago. The blonde still wore the dainty accessory around her neck almost everyday. "We're beautiful." She whispered.


End file.
